Brain damage following delay in diagnosing signs of heart attack

Case studies

Brain damage following delay in diagnosing signs of heart attack


Our client had a family history and a number of risk factors for heart attack, including his own weight and high cholesterol level. He attended his GP complaining of chest pains, which the GP treated as reflux oesophagitis, but very shortly after leaving the surgery, our client collapsed in the street suffering a heart attack.

There followed a delay in his resuscitation that led to brain damage, affecting his memory and concentration and thus his employment.

The GP should have suspected a heart attack and arranged treatment accordingly. Had he done so, the evidence in this case is that our client still would have suffered the heart attack, but he would have been treated quickly enough that brain damage would have been avoided.


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