If the warning signs and right medical treatment is not provided quickly enough, the effects of a stroke can be life-changing, and sometimes fatal. If you or a loved one have been affected by the misdiagnosis of a stroke, or delay in treatment, our expert solicitors can help.
What is a stroke?
A stroke is a serious life-threatening medical condition that happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.
Strokes are a medical emergency and urgent treatment is essential. The sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen.
The longer the blood supply to the brain is interrupted by a stroke, the more serious the chance of disability, brain injury or death. This makes it essential that medical staff identify a stroke, or a potential onset of a stroke, at the earliest opportunity.
What are the main causes of a stroke?
There are 2 main causes of strokes:
- Ischaemic – where typically a blood clot forms and blocks the blood supply through a vessel within the brain, accounting for 85% of all cases.
- Haemorrhagic – where a weakened blood vessel supplying the brain bursts causing bleeding in or around the brain and cuts off the blood supply to the brain.
There is also a related condition called a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), where the blood supply to the brain is temporarily interrupted. This is often called a mini stroke.
Strokes can happen in both adults and children, and childhood strokes affect babies, including in the womb, children and young people.
What are the early warning signs of a stroke?
Early warning signs associated with a stroke include:
- Slurred speech
- Numbness in one arm
- Facial weakness
- Confusion
- Drowsiness
- Severe headaches
What increases the risk of a stroke?
Certain conditions increase the risk of having a stroke, including:
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- Heart disorders
- Cardiovascular disease
- Diabetes
- Blood disorders
In adults certain lifestyle factors such as smoking, excess alcohol, physical inactivity, and an unhealthy diet also contribute to the risk of having a stroke.
Treatment
Treatment for stroke depends upon the type of stroke, and the cause. Treatment can include:
- Thrombolysis, or “clot busting” drugs
- Other medication such as antiplatelet
- Surgical procedures
People who survive a stroke are often left with long-term problems caused by injury to their brain. Some people need a long period of rehabilitation before they can recover their former independence, while many never fully recover and need ongoing support after their stroke.
How can we help?
The consequences of a stroke can be devastating, even when it’s diagnosed and treated promptly.
Typically claims arise when doctors do not recognise and treat the risk factors, or they fail to recognise the early symptoms or delay in providing treatment once a stroke has occurred.
If you or a loved one has been affected by substandard care or stroke misdiagnosis, our specialist medical negligence team are here to help.
We can assist by investigating what happened, and help by providing answers, as well as recovering compensation for the pain and suffering and other financial losses such as loss of earnings, care, aids and equipment, and rehabilitation costs.
Find out how we can help you
We're ready to help you make your medical negligence compensation claim today. Contact our specialist solicitors for a free initial chat about your situation and find out how you can get started. Use our online enquiry form or call our specialist team on 01392 937 278.