Early diagnosis of stroke or stroke symptoms can result in better outcomes than when a stroke goes undiagnosed and untreated for too long. Stroke patients of any age stand to lose a great deal if a stroke does all the harm it can do — and much to gain if effective treatment is delivered on time.
Failure to diagnose a stroke accurately and timely is a scenario often seen in an emergency room (ER). This can also happen in a doctor’s office, a nursing home or any health care setting. Did you or your loved one arrive in the ER with symptoms such as the following?
- Sudden vision impairment
- Difficulty walking
- Unexplained dizziness
If health care providers did not properly diagnose a stroke, and you lost the window of opportunity for the best treatment possibilities, you may have a cause of action against the doctor, hospital or nursing home.
Timely treatment with plasminogen activator (tPA) offers the best hope for an acute stroke victim. Failure to treat the stroke on time may mean that a patient will be left with permanent paralysis and/or partial blindness.