Heart Attack Misdiagnosis & Medical Malpractice

Heart disease or coronary heart disease results in over 30,000 deaths in Pennsylvania each year. Many individuals with heart disease will suffer a heart attack which occurs when a coronary artery is blocked by plaque. This prevents oxygen and nutrients from getting to the heart which can be fatal if not treated immediately.

Medical Misdiagnosis of Heart Attack

Family doctors, specialists and hospitals in Philadelphia, Delaware County and Montgomery County may misdiagnose a heart attack as chest pain, angina, or simply indigestion or heart burn. Women and younger adults are increasingly at risk of misdiagnosis of a heart attack.

Medical misdiagnosis of a heart attack often occurs due to:

• failure to order tests (EKG or echocardiogram),
• failure to order blood tests (cardiac enzymes in the blood),
• failure to take a full medical history,
• failure to identify heart attack risk factors (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc.), and
• failure to perform a complete medical exam.

In Pennsylvania hospitals or emergency rooms, heart attack misdiagnosis or delay in treatment often occurs due to failure to follow procedures and protocols due to insufficient staffing or insufficient training. 

Heart Attack Symptoms

Symptoms and severity of symptoms vary from person to person. However, most report minor symptoms in the days or hours leading to the heart attack:

• chest pain or tightness
• pain or discomfort in shoulders, arms, neck or jaw/throat
• stomach pain including symptoms of heartburn or indigestion
• sweating
• vomiting
• dizziness
• anxiety
• shortness of breath, fast or uneven heartbeat

Our Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyers accept heart attack misdiagnosis cases throughout Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia and the surrounding counties including Delaware County, Montgomery County, etc. Contact us now or call (610) 214-2513.

Featured Case: Our lawyers obtained a $3 million jury trial verdict against a Philadelphia emergency room for failing to diagnose a life-threatening heart condition. The patient died as a result.