Failure to Diagnose Pulmonary Embolism

Pulmonary embolism is a leading causes of preventable deaths. It is basically a blood clot that gets stuck in the blood vessels of the lungs. In most cases, the blood clot starts in the large veins of the leg, abdomen or arms. Once the clot becomes dislodged, it travels up to the lungs and partially or fully blocks an artery. Pulmonary embolism is similar to a stroke or a heart attack. All of these complications involve a blood clot blocking blood vessels. For a stroke it happens in the brain, a heart attack occurs when a blockage takes place in the heart. As for pulmonary embolism, it happens when a blood clot gets lodged in the lungs.

Pulmonary embolism symptoms are precise and clear. Shortness of breath, rapid pulses, sharp chest pains, intense sweating and anxiety are some of the signs to look out for. To save patients` lives it is important that these symptoms get noticed at an early stage otherwise life threatening complications can arise.

All medical professionals are trained and are therefore fully capable of identifying symptoms. It is therefore wrong when such symptoms are misunderstood and labelled as stress or any less-serious condition. Any delay in diagnosis could be fatal. While the knowledge of symptoms is available, patients still die of pulmonary embolism. Missouri medical malpractice attorneys believes that this is due to negligent medical professionals who choose to ignore or misdiagnose the symptoms. Since it is clear that pulmonary embolism symptoms can be mistaken for other diseases symptoms, below is a list of some of the conditions to look out for:

·         Any current or past history of deep vein thrombosis diagnosis

·         Previous pulmonary embolism

·         Recent surgery

·         Prolonged airplane or car travel

·         Heart disease

·         Pregnancy or recent birth

·         Smoking

·         Old age

·         Obesity

·         Hormonal birth control or hormonal therapy in women

·         Inherited or genetic blood clotting condition such as Factor V Leiden

·         Varicose veins

·         People with central venous catheters

·         Inflammatory Bowel Disease including Crohn`s or Ulcerative Colitis

Early diagnosis and treatment can help reduce preventable deaths caused by pulmonary embolism. The fact that medical professionals at times misdiagnose a condition based on their assumption is wrong. If you or someone close to you has suffered injury as a result of failure to diagnose pulmonary embolism, consult with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer to claim compensation for your injury and loss.