An almost unavoidable part of life involves dealing with a medical emergency. Each day, people visit emergency rooms throughout New Jersey in need of serious medical attention. Unfortunately, not all of these patients will receive the correct diagnosis. Considering that, here’s a closer look at a few of the most commonly misdiagnosed medical ailments.
Stroke
A stroke is often misdiagnosed because it can replicate the symptoms of other medical conditions. Sometimes, medical professionals misdiagnose a stroke as a severe migraine, epileptic seizures or psychogenic disease. It’s also important to treat strokes in a time-sensitive manner, which can further complicate the diagnosis process.
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is a term for cancers found in the rectum or large intestine areas. The main reason why this type of cancer is often misdiagnosed has to do with its symptoms. In its early stages, colorectal cancer can appear extremely similar to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or hemorrhoids.
A heart attack
Heart attacks happen when this part of the body is unable to pump blood as it normally does. What most people don’t know is that not all heart attacks are severe enough to have someone clutching their chests. Many heart attacks are mild in nature, making it hard to know if someone’s experiencing a life-threatening condition or not. If not treated properly, misdiagnosing a heart attack could lead a doctor to face a medical malpractice claim.
Some of the most common conditions confused with heart attacks are:
- Panic attacks
- Severe acid reflux
- Angina
- Pneumonia
Unfortunately, misdiagnosed conditions represent a major problem in the medical world. If you survived a misdiagnosis, you could have a valid medical malpractice claim. Making this type of claim also creates the potential for you to seek damages.
