Heart attacks are amongst the most deadly medical conditions that can unexpectedly threaten an individual’s life. The good news is that if a heart attack is caught quickly enough, medical treatment may be able to stop it, thereby halting any additional damage caused to the heart. This, in turn, can result in an individual’s life being saved. However, for heart attacks to be detected, certain tests must be conducted and accurately interpreted.
Fortunately, for Texas residents, a new heart attack test may be made more widely available that allows doctors to detect the medical condition much more quickly. The blood test, detects a certain protein that is released into the blood stream by a heart when it is damaged, such as when it is subjected to a heart attack. If doctors do not detect the protein during the test, then a heart attack can be ruled out.
Although this test has been around for some time, a newer, much more sensitive version is becoming available. It allows doctors to complete the test in an hour.
If the test does detect the protein, though, additional testing may be conducted to better determine whether a heart attack is occurring and, if so, how serious it is. These tests may include an EKG or a stress test. But, doctors who fail to appropriately order or read these tests can leave patients in a position where they are susceptible to serious harm and even death.
A failure to diagnose is unacceptable when a medical condition could have been detected, had the medical professional provided care in accordance with applicable medical standards. This is often a legal question that is left to the courts and juries to decide.
Those who believe they have been injured by a negligent medical professional may be able to recover compensation for their harm, but only if they succeed on a medical malpractice case. An attorney who is experienced in this area of the law can help advise medical malpractice victims of their legal options and how best to act on them.
