More than 140,000 people die every year from a stroke. As strokes are the number three cause of death in the United States, health care providers should consider a stroke when a patient presents to an emergency room with complaints of a severe headache, face droop, arm drift, and/or slurred speech.
“As many as 800,000 people suffer a stroke each year,” said Syracuse medical malpractice lawyer Michael A. Bottar, of Bottar Law, PLLC, a law firm representing injured patients throughout the State of New York. “Unfortunately, strokes are frequently misdiagnosed in the emergency room and patients are sent home without appropriate therapy.” Stroke therapy may include the administration of antiplatelets, anticogaulants, statins, and/or blood pressure medications. t-PA may also be administered. Depending upon the type of stoke, surgery may be necessary.
Recently, medicine took a major step forward toward treating acute ischemic strokes. On trial now in Florida is a device called Trevo. Trevo is a minimally invasive catheter system that can retrieve clots in order to return blood flow to the affected portions of the brain before there is brain death. Trevo is a hybrid of current catheter-guided thrombolysis technology. “If the Florida trial goes well we may see Trevo in New York and, in turn, stroke-related permament disabilities may decline,” said Bottar.
If you experienced a stroke shortly after discharge from the emergency room, you may have a claim for physical, emotional and economic damages. To speak with a New York stroke misdiagnosis lawyer about your rights, contact Bottar Law, PLLC at (833) 268-8277 or by email at info@bottarleone.com.