Each year, about 1.1 million Americans suffer from heart attacks and nearly one half of them can be fatal. Coronary disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women, and heart attacks are the second leading cause of death in Tennessee. Doctors and health care providers have a responsibility and obligation to their patients to watch for and monitor any possible signs of a heart attack. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes doctors and health care provides may misread signs or not perform the correct tests to check for these possible warning signs. In this case, medical negligence may have occurred.

What are common warning signs of a cardiovascular disease or heart attack?

Some common warning signs of cardiovascular disease or a possible heart attack may include but are not limited to:

• High blood pressure
• Use of Tobacco
• Poor nutrition
• Obesity
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes

These signs develop and build over many years, and there are many drugs and treatments now available to prevent and slow the progress of heart disease.

What exactly is the responsibility of doctors and health care providers in helping to prevent a heart attack?

While we all must take some responsibility for our own health and well being, Tennessee physicians and health care providers have an obligation to watch for and monitor signs of possible heart attack and to detect these signs as early as possible. Also, if a patient enters care with symptoms of a stroke or heart attack, the Tennessee doctor has a responsibility to fully consider and investigate the complaint. Your Tennessee health care provider should have ordered the appropriate tests to confirm or rule out the presence of a heart attack or stroke.

How do you know if medical negligence may have occurred?

Medical negligence does not happen in every case so it may be hard to tell, but there are some possible indicators to look for. These may include but are not limited to:

• When symptoms of patient are minimized or mistaken for another cause
• Errors in procedure and treatment
• Treatment results in unnecessary injury
• Appropriate tests are not performed or misread
• Failure of doctor to consider all possibilities or standards of care

Negligent Tennessee doctors who fail to recognize and stop the progression of a heart attack puts the patient at risk for long-term disability (including brain damage and paralysis) and even death. While these injuries are not always preventable, they are certainly traumatic and are made more so when a doctor's diagnosis could have prevented the worst of the injuries.

What should I do if I suspect medical malpractice or negligence?

The first step is to seek medical help and treatment immediately. Then, it is important to keep all evidence including any and all documents about medical help and treatment. Finally, if you are concerned about or suspect medical malpractice, should seek the advice of an experienced Tennessee malpractice attorney. The malpractice lawyers at The Higgins Firm have the medical and legal knowledge necessary to offer a thorough and accurate assessment of your situation.

More Facts about Heart Attacks Include:

• Coronary disease is caused when circulation is restricted by the coronary arteries being too narrow, often because of fatty build-up in the vessel walls. When blood does not flow freely from the heart, oxygen and nutrients cannot be provided to the body.
• Heart attack treatments work to unblock the constricted artery to restore blood flow and to lessen the chance of a future heart attack. The most effective heart attack treatments and procedures are thrombolytic therapy, which disintegrates blood clots, and angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery. But to be effective, heart attack treatments must be administered quickly, usually within one hour, of when heart attack symptoms begin.
• Recent studies reveal that 1 in 50 heart attacks go undiagnosed.
• Conditions allowing for a heart attack often develop over many years until the moment or the event that triggers the blockage sending the person to the emergency room. Once admitted to the health care facility, Tennessee doctors are obligated to perform tests to determine whether a heart attack has occurred. This is the quality of care every Tennessean has a right to, but if physicians fail to take the time with their patients, they may not recognize the symptoms of a potentially fatal heart attack and may not perform EEGs, nuclear scans, coronary angiography, or other tests. Too often, irreversible injury occurs.

If you or a Tennessee loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, let our malpractice attorneys provide you with a free consultation. If you want an attorney you can talk to, who understands your situation and who will fight for you, contact The Higgins Firm for your free consultation, toll-free at 855-529-3675 or our Memphis and Nashville lawyers' offices online