There are some serious issues with the way that doctors diagnose heart attacks, especially in female patients. These issues are made clear by the fact that misdiagnosis rates are higher for women than they are for men.
A misdiagnosis of a heart attack can be a fatal mistake. Someone who is actually suffering from a heart attack often needs emergency treatment, but a misdiagnosis could mean that they do not get it or they do not receive it promptly. These errors could make the condition much worse, and patients sometimes pass away before the doctor realizes that it was a heart attack all along.
Why does this happen more for women?
There are many potential reasons why this happens more for women, and it is a complex issue. But one of the biggest reasons is simply that heart attack symptoms can be different depending on a person‘s gender. Many doctors assume they should be looking for male symptoms, so female patients who present different symptoms could get a misdiagnosis or a delayed diagnosis.
For instance, female patients are likely to talk about fatigue, nausea and similar issues. Male patients are more likely to talk about chest pain and shortness of breath. As such, a doctor may assume that a woman who is feeling fatigued and nauseous is suffering from gastrointestinal distress or a panic attack, failing to realize that she is having a heart attack simply because he is waiting for her to mention chest pain or shortness of breath.
Of course, every case is unique, and women do show a wide variety of symptoms. But when medical professionals make serious mistakes, family members need to know what legal options they have.