A stroke is a serious medical emergency. Recognising the signs and getting urgent medical treatment can make an important difference to a person’s recovery and the treatment available to them.
In this article, we outline the symptoms of a stroke, why prompt treatment is important and when a delayed diagnosis may raise concerns about medical negligence.
What is a stroke?
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted. This can be caused by a blood clot, known as an ischaemic stroke, or bleeding in the brain, known as a haemorrhagic stroke.
Without enough blood and oxygen, brain cells can become damaged. The effects of a stroke can vary depending on which part of the brain is affected.
What are the symptoms of a stroke?
Stroke symptoms often happen suddenly. The BE FAST test can help you recognise some of the most common signs:
- Balance: Sudden loss of balance, coordination, or dizziness
- Eyes: Sudden vision changes, blurred vision, or loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Face: One side of the face drooping or feeling numb
- Arms: Weakness or numbness in one arm or leg
- Speech: Slurred speech, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech
- Time: if you notice any of these symptoms, call 999 immediately.
However, BE FAST does not identify every stroke, and a person can have a stroke without showing these symptoms. Other signs can include sudden confusion, difficulty walking or a severe headache. If you are concerned that someone may be having a stroke, call 999 immediately, even if they do not have the symptoms described by BE FAST.
Why is prompt treatment important?
People with suspected stroke need urgent assessment and brain imaging to establish what has happened and determine the most appropriate treatment.
Depending on the type of stroke and the individual’s circumstances, treatment may include medication to dissolve a blood clot, a procedure to remove a clot or surgery. Some treatments are time-sensitive, so getting medical attention quickly is important.
Stroke-like symptoms can sometimes disappear after a short period. This may be a transient ischaemic attack, or TIA. A TIA can be a warning sign of a future stroke and still requires urgent medical assessment.
When can a delayed diagnosis be a concern?
A stroke can be difficult to diagnose, particularly where symptoms are less obvious. However, there may be circumstances where concerns arise about whether appropriate care was provided.
For example, there may be questions about whether stroke symptoms were recognised, whether appropriate investigations or brain imaging were arranged, or whether there was an avoidable delay in treatment or referral to a specialist.
A poor outcome following a stroke does not necessarily mean that medical negligence has occurred. A stroke is a serious condition and significant disability can occur even where appropriate treatment is provided.
Whether there has been medical negligence will depend on the circumstances of the individual case, including the standard of care provided and whether any failure in care caused avoidable harm.
How Tees can help
If you or someone close to you has suffered serious harm following a delayed or missed a stroke diagnosis, our medical negligence solicitors can help you understand what happened and whether there may be grounds for a claim.
We can review the relevant medical records, obtain independent medical advice where appropriate and explain your options clearly.
If you are concerned about the treatment you or a family member received, please get in touch with our medical negligence team.
