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Failure
to Diagnosis Strokes
According to the American Stroke Association, strokes afflict
about a half million people each year, killing about one third
of them and disabling another 200,000. Every 53 seconds someone
in the United States suffers a stroke. Currently, three million
survivors are living with the life-altering consequences of
strokes.
Uncontrolled hypertension or high blood pressure is considered
the most common cause of strokes. Strokes can be either ischemic,
where a lack of oxygen damages brain tissue, or hemorrahagic,
where blood vessels burst in the brain. A mini stroke or TIA
(transient ischemic attack), is a warning signal that a stroke
may soon follow. About 36% of people who experience a TIA
later go on to have a stroke.
TIA develops when blood flow is temporarily reduced or stopped
to an area of the brain. This often occurs when a blood clot
blocks blood flow in an artery supplying the brain. Within
minutes, brain cells are affected, causing symptoms such as
blurred vision, slurred speech, behavior changes, weakness
or numbness on one side of the body.
TIA symptoms usually end after 10 to 20 minutes when the
blood flow resumes. However, symptoms of a TIA should always
be treated as an emergency. Once a stroke is suspected, the
doctor may want to perform a CT scan of the brain to determine
whether bleeding in the brain has occurred. Treatment for
TIA usually includes one or both of the following: medication
such as TPA or clot busting agents, or surgery to reopen a
narrowed artery (carotid endarterectomy).
The Cochran Firm - Dallas, L.L.P.
Turtle Creek Centre, Suite 1400
3811 Turtle Creek Boulevard
Dallas, Texas
75219
phone:
214.651.4260
| fax: 214.651.4261
Edward H. Moore is Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law. Unless otherwise noted, not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
The statements and information provided on this web site are for the information of the recipient only. This site is not intended to provide legal advice and no attorney-client relationship should be deemed to arise from the receipt this page and its associated pages. |
Copyright © 2003 The Cochran Firm - Dallas, L.L.P.,
All Rights Reserved.
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