Strokes And Medical Negligence Claims
If the right medical care is not given, a patient can suffer fatal or life-changing complications from a stroke.
Examples of substandard medical care leading to a stroke claim include:
- Failing to diagnose and treat a mini-stroke (TIA), causing the patient to suffer a full stroke
- Failing to diagnose and treat a stroke immediately
- Failing to provide the correct treatment for a stroke
- Discharging a patient too soon after a stroke
- Prescribing a patient with medication that directly contributed towards the stroke
If you have suffered because of poor stroke care, or your loved one has, please get in touch with us today. We are a specialist team of medical negligence solicitors and get say whether you are entitled to pursue a claim for compensation.
What is a stroke?
A stroke is when the blood supply to the brain becomes disrupted, starving the brain of oxygen. This usually happens for one of two reasons.
- 1. A blood clot becomes lodged in a blood vessel in the brain, preventing the flow of blood. This is called an ischaemic stroke.
- 2. A blood vessel bursts, causing blood to bleed onto the brain. This is called a haemorrhagic stroke and occurs due to an aneurysm, which is a weakness in the blood vessel wall.
The blood carries oxygen around the body, so a clot or haemorrhage will starve the brain of oxygen. The cells cannot live for long without oxygen, so they will soon begin to die. This will result in serious brain injury.
What is a mini-stroke?
A mini-stroke is known medically as a Transient Ischaemic Attack or 'TIA'. It is the same as a stroke, in that the blood supply to the brain is disrupted. However, this disruption is only temporary, with the effects lasting just minutes or hours.
A TIA normally happens because something has blocked a vessel, such as a blood clot, air bubble or build-up of fatty substances. The blood supply is then restored, but it is very likely that it will happen again. Therefore a TIA must be taken very seriously because it is often a precursor to a full stroke.
Failing to diagnose and treat mini-stroke
If someone experiences the symptoms of a stroke, even if it is just briefly, he/she must seek urgent medical assistance. The symptoms of a stroke and TIA include:
- Droopy face
- Unable to raise one or both arms
- Slurred speech
- Unconsciousness
A patient who reports experiencing these symptoms must be investigated for a TIA. The symptoms of a TIA often resolve very quickly, but it is still vital that investigations are undertaken, as it could help to prevent a full stroke.
The patient should be referred to a stroke unit or neurologist for tests. If a patient is thought to be at risk of having another TIA or stroke, the tests must be performed within 24 hours. If a patient is at a low risk, it is acceptable to wait for seven days, but aspirin must be prescribed during this time.
A number of tests can be used to diagnose a TIA, including brain scans, blood pressure tests, blood tests and ECGs. If a TIA is diagnosed, a suitable course of treatment must be decided upon. Normally a patient will be given medication and advised about healthy lifestyle choices. Some will require surgery.
If there is a failure to diagnose and/or treat a TIA, and a patient goes on to suffer a full stroke, there will be a case of medical negligence.
Failing to diagnose and treat a stroke immediately
Some stroke victims will not have a TIA and will only have a full stroke. Alternatively it may be that he/she did not seek medical help for a TIA as the symptoms resolved so quickly.
A stroke is associated with the symptoms described above, only they will last much longer. When a patient presents with a suspected stroke, medical practitioners must carry out tests without delay. Brain imaging scans are the best diagnostic tool, with either a CT scan or MRI scan being the preferred options.
During the diagnostic process, medical practitioners must determine what caused the stroke. This will determine the course of treatment. Those with an ischaemia stroke will require thrombolysis, aspirin and other medication. Those with a haemorrhagic stroke will require surgery. M
If medical practitioners fail to realise that a patient is suffering from a stroke, their treatment will be delayed. By the time a diagnosis is made it may be too late, and the patient may have sustained extensive brain damage – something which could have been avoided with earlier treatment.
Failing to provide the correct stroke treatment
A described above, there are different ways of treating a stroke. The correct course of treatment depends upon what type of a stroke a patient has had. If medical practitioners do not provide the appropriate type of treatment, the effects can be the same as providing no treatment. If this happens, there could be a case of medical negligence.
Discharging a patient too soon after a stroke
Some patients will experience a series of strokes or TIAs. Therefore medical practitioners must be sure that the patient has been accurately diagnosed, treatment and is in a stable condition before discharging him/her from hospital. If the patient is discharged too soon, or is not even admitted to hospital, there could be grounds for a claim.
Prescribing medication that causes a stroke
There are certain drugs and medical treatments that can increase the risk of stroke. Even everyday medication such as the contraceptive pill can raise the patient's blood pressure, potentially leading to a stroke.
If a patient is given medication that increases the chance of a stroke, he/she must be carefully monitored to ensure their physical condition remains stable. Furthermore, a patient should not be given medication that is contra-indicated because of their health. For instance, someone who is known to have high blood pressure should not be prescribed the contraceptive pill.
If medication is given to a patient and this causes them to suffer a stroke, there could be a case against the medical practitioner or organisation responsible.
Expert legal advice
For more information on claiming for a stroke, please get in touch with our specialist team at Glynns Solicitors.
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To find out more about making a medical negligence claim, please get in touch with our team today. We will advise whether or not you are eligible to pursue a claim for compensation. If so, we can help you get the financial redress you deserve.
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