Preventing complications and death from a stroke requires rapid treatment

If you take a loved one to the emergency room because of the signs of a stroke, you expect the medical team to take your concerns to heart. Unfortunately, some medical providers don’t take their patients’ complaints seriously and may ignore serious signs of injury or illness — including that of a stroke.

Strokes may be misdiagnosed, which can lead to real problems for patients. Misdiagnosing or delaying the diagnosis of a stroke can lead to serious complications and a higher overall risk of death for the patient.

Quick stroke treatment is very important. Why? Quick treatment can help save lives. When a person is having a stroke, every second counts. As the brain goes without oxygen, it begins to die. The longer the person goes without care, the worst that injury will become.

Immediate treatment for a stroke helps minimize the risk of:

• Long-term side effects
• Further blood clots and ruptures
• Death

The majority of strokes in the United States are called ischemic strokes. They make up around 85% of all strokes that happen in the U.S. Someone with this condition needs to be treated quickly. The only FDA-approved treatment is the use of Alteplase IV r-tPA. This treatment dissolves blood clots and improves blood flow quickly to reduce the effects of the stroke and prevent further damage. This has to be administered within three hours in most patients for the treatment to improve the chances of recovery.

There are other possible treatments for strokes, but once the stroke has started to kill the brain, then the damage could be permanent. If your loved one dies from a stroke or suffers severe complications because of a misdiagnosis, you may be able to hold the medical team responsible.