Cerebral Infarction
If you or your loved one had a cerebral infarction and you think medical negligence was to blame, please get in touch with us today. We specialise in medical negligence claims and will be able to offer more information.
What is a cerebral infarction?
A cerebral infarction is a type of stroke. It happens when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked, leaving the surrounding tissue deficient in oxygen. In medical terms, the death of tissue caused by a lack of oxygen is called ischaemia. A cerebral infarction is therefore a type of ischaemia stroke and differs from other types of stroke such as a subarachnoid haemorrhage.
What causes a cerebral infarction?
There are various reasons why a cerebral infarction might occur. Three potential causes are described below:
Septic shock
One possible cause is that the patient has gross septic shock, causing their body to go into shock and suffer a watershed stroke. The most frequent location for a watershed stroke is the region of the brain supplied by the anterior cerebral artery and the middle cerebral artery. A sharp drop in blood pressure, which is a feature of septic shock, is the most frequent cause of watershed cerebral infarcts.
Thus a cerebral infarction can be as a direct result of a severe illness, in particular septic shock and multi-organ failure. Evidence also suggests that septic shock can also lead to atrial fibrillation, something which in itself can cause a cerebral infarction.
Atrial fibrillation
A second possible cause is that the cerebral infarction is due to cardioembolic strokes associated with atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat). Ischaemic strokes in more than one vascular territory are likely to be cardiac in origin.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common significant cardiac arrhythmia and is associated with substantial mortality and morbidity. Atrial fibrillation predisposes patients to developing atrial thrombi (clots in the heart) and is associated with a four to fivefold increase in the risk of stroke from thromboembolism. It is responsible for 10% to 15% of all ischaemic strokes.
Strokes associated with atrial fibrillation are more severe and nearly twice as likely to be fatal. However, the risk of stroke depends upon the absence or presence of several factors. Studies have shown that between 6% and 20% of patients hospitalised with severe sepsis develop new onset atrial fibrillation, suggesting that severe sepsis may be a predisposing risk factor.
Patent foramen ovale
A third possible cause is that the cerebral infarction is due to a paradoxical embolism facilitated by a hole in the heart. A hole in the heart is known medically as a 'patent foramen ovale' (PFO). A paradoxical embolism is when emboli (unattached masses, such as bits of a blood clot, that move around in the blood vessels) passes between the chambers of the heart via an abnormal opening – such as a patent foramen ovale.
A patent foramen ovale is a valve-like opening of the interatrial septum and has a pivotal role in the life of an unborn baby. The interatrial septum is composed of two overlapping structures, the left sided (fibrous) septum primum and the right sided (muscular) septum secundum. These septa grow from the periphery to the centre leaving a central opening called the foramen ovale which enables the shunting of blood from right to left during the development of a foetus. Blood from the umbilical vein enters the right atrium and bypasses the non-functional lungs, keeping the foramen ovale open until after birth. After birth the foramen ovale should close, although autopsy studies show that this does not occur in 25% of the population. Therefore around one in five people have a hole in their heart.
Most people with a patent foramen ovale will not experience any symptoms. However, it is recognised that a PFO can increase the risk of paradoxical embolism and stroke, although the overall risk is very small. The surgical closure of the hole has been shown to reduce the incidence of recurrent strokes.
Cerebral infarction caused by medical negligence
Sometimes a cerebral infarction could not have been predicted or prevented, meaning medical negligence is not to blame. This is often the case when a cerebral infarction occurs due to a patent foramen ovale. Usually the patient will not have been aware that he/she had a hole in their heart, and so no preventative measures could have been taken.
But there are times when delayed medical care directly contributes towards a cerebral infarction. One example is if a patient has a severe illness, such as acute pancreatitis, that leads to septic shock. If medical practitioners fail to diagnose and treat the patient's condition quickly enough and the patient goes on to suffer a stroke, the delay in medical care could be responsible.
Want to know more?
If you would like to know more about strokes and medical negligence claims, you need to speak to a solicitor who specialises in this area of the law. There are different ways in which medical errors can cause a stroke, or can exacerbate the effects of a stroke. To find out if you or a loved one has been the victim of negligence, simply get in touch with us today.
We offer everyone a free initial enquiry, during which you have the opportunity to discuss your case with a legal expert over the telephone. After this conversation our solicitors will consider your case and decide whether you have the grounds to make a claim. If we believe there is a case to be answered and you would like to proceed, we will open the claim on your behalf, working to get the compensation you deserve.
We urge anyone considering making a medical negligence claim to seek early legal advice. This is because claims must be made within three years of the event. If this timeframe expires, you will not be able to pursue legal action.
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