The Risk of Misdiagnosis in Young Heart Attack Patients

There are many different types of medical malpractice, including misdiagnosis. If a misdiagnosis occurs as an emergency room error, the results may sometimes be fatal. Patients can be strong advocates for their own healthcare by knowing the risks of failure to diagnose heart attacks. The misdiagnosis of heart attacks affects young patients in particular simply because most heart attack patients are of older age. When a younger patient walks into an ER complaining of chest pain, an ER doctor might be more likely to evaluate that patient for panic attacks.

Further complicating this issue is the misconceptions regarding heart attack symptoms. It’s often thought that heart attacks primarily cause chest, left shoulder, and left arm pain. However, some heart attacks might not cause chest pain at all. Instead, young patients may experience jaw pain, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.

If you’ve lost a loved one to wrongful death on Long Island, New York, or you were injured by a misdiagnosis, you can count on Pegalis & Erickson, LLC to advocate for your legal rights. Call us at (516) 684-2900 to request a case review with one of our experienced medical malpractice lawyers.