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While misdiagnosis is never a good thing, there are some instances in which a doctor diagnoses an ailment as the wrong disease or disorder and the patient is not harmed in any substantial way. In order to have a successful malpractice case, the victim must be able to prove that he or she suffered as a result of the negligent actions of the doctor.

While doctors may be able to get away with misdiagnosis if the patient is suffering from a more benign condition, there are certain diseases and disorders that must be diagnosed correctly and immediately treated in order to avoid permanent injury or death. This is the case with a patient suffering from a stroke. If a doctor misdiagnoses a stroke, the patient will likely suffer from permanent injuries such as severe brain damage or paralysis.

Because stroke misdiagnosis is a more common form of medical malpractice, it is a good idea to know the main signs and symptoms of a stroke. If the patient is aware of the common symptoms, he or she can suggest that stroke may be the issue upon arriving at the emergency room.

The main symptoms and signs of a stroke include:

• Weakness or tingling in a limb
• Sudden loss of strength in the legs
• Weakness, heaviness, numbness or paralysis-this typically occurs in only one side of the body
• Severe headache
• Confusion
• Loss of vision
• Change of vision-this includes blurriness, dimness or double vision
• Difficultly speaking or finding words
• Difficulty understanding the speech of others
• Fainting

Unfortunately, knowing the signs of a stroke may not always be enough to prevent a misdiagnosis.

Article Resource: By James Witherspoon. To find out more about the frequency of stroke misdiagnosis, visit the website of the Iowa medical malpractice lawyers of LaMarca & Landry, P.C.