If you’re having a heart attack, a misdiagnosis by a doctor can be fatal. You need help quickly, and you need medical care to overcome what is often a lethal issue. Even a few hours of delay can move you beyond the point where life-saving treatment is possible.
With that in mind, it’s important to note that doctors tend to mistake heart attacks for other, lesser issues in women more often than they do in men. Women have an elevated risk of being sent home or not given proper treatment at the hospital.
The symptoms may be different
One reason for this is that women often have different symptoms than men. The main symptom for men is chest pain. Women absolutely may have chest pain, but they may be more concerned about issues like nausea or trouble breathing. A doctor could see all of the signs and make a mistake just because they assume the symptoms should be the same between genders.
That said, studies have also looked at cases where women did have chest pain, and they have found that doctors are still more likely to misdiagnose female patients more than with male ones. So, the issue isn’t just that the symptoms aren’t what doctors expected. Even the more common and expected symptoms can result in critical errors.
Have you lost a loved one?
If you lose a loved one to a heart attack, it’s a tragic event. If you only suffered that loss because a doctor made a negligent mistake or a misdiagnosis, you need to know what rights you have to seek proper compensation.
