The misdiagnosis of a heart attack can be a serious mistake by medical professionals. If someone is having a heart attack, but a doctor sends them home and tells them to rest (saying that they are just experiencing anxiety, for example), the results could be fatal. This could turn into a wrongful death case.
While this can happen to both men and women, some studies find that it is more likely for women. They are at greater risk of such a serious medical error. Why is this the case?
Differing symptoms
Women can experience a greater variety of symptoms when having a heart attack than men. For example, men will often describe crushing chest pain along with shortness of breath. These have become the classic symptoms that people associate with a heart attack.
Women, however, may not report chest discomfort at all. That could come later, perhaps, as the condition gets more advanced.
Early on, they often report issues like heartburn, dizziness, nausea, lightheadedness, jaw pain, back pain or arm pain. They may report some chest discomfort, but it may be much milder than what men experience.
As such, many doctors will simply look for the classic male symptoms. If a woman says that she is having jaw pain and nausea, the doctor may believe that she is experiencing a much different condition and never even consider a heart attack, especially if that doctor is just looking for extreme chest pain and shortness of breath.
Have you or a loved one suffered harm due to a medical mistake? If you feel that a medical professional was negligent and therefore caused harm, you need to know what legal options you have to seek appropriate compensation.