Few medical emergencies are as potentially dangerous as an ischemic stroke, as the consequences can be life-altering, or in many cases, fatal. An ischemic stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is blocked. Any sort of delay in blood getting to the brain can cause serious complications, including permanent brain damage.
The majority of strokes are considered ischemic strokes and require immediate treatment to prevent serious long-term damage to the victim.
If you or a loved one suffered an ischemic stroke and had complications as a result of misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, or improper treatment, you may have a legal case. Weisser Law has decades of experience holding negligent healthcare providers accountable while securing the compensation our clients deserve.
Contact Weisser Law today for your free, zero-pressure consultation.
Symptoms of Ischemic Stroke
Ischemic stroke symptoms appear quickly and should not be ignored. Because many of the symptoms can be related to other potential issues, it’s important that medical staff address the cause of the symptoms as soon as possible to determine if it’s a case of ischemic stroke or something else.
- Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body,
- Severe headache
- Vision problems
- Trouble speaking
- Dizziness
- Confusion
One of the most common ways to determine if an ischemic stroke is happening involves the FAST method, which stands for: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911. When those symptoms are noticed, it’s critical to seek medical attention immediately.
What Causes Ischemic Stroke?
An ischemic stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain is blocked. While the blockage can be caused in a handful of ways, understanding how and why the blockage happened is crucial from both a medical and legal sense, as many ischemic strokes are predictable, diagnosable, and treatable when proper care is provided.
A common cause is blood clots, which can form directly in the arteries that supply the brain with blood, or somewhere else in the body before traveling to the brain. Clots are known to block blood flow suddenly, which can cause an immediate and possibly severe brain injury. Patients may experience multiple warning signs of a blood clot, like weakness, confusion, or speech problems.
Another cause of ischemic stroke is a condition called atherosclerosis, which happens when plaque builds up in the arteries. That buildup narrows the arteries, restricting blood flow, and over time, the buildup can rupture, triggering a clot formation and in turn, cutting off circulation to the brain. Atherosclerosis develops steadily over the course of time and is tied to other conditions like high cholesterol and smoking, meaning it’s detectable and treatable if healthcare staff monitors it properly.
Heart conditions — atrial fibrillation (AFib) in particular — also contribute to ischemic stroke. If a patient has an irregular heartbeat, it can cause blood to pool and form clots in the heart. When AFib is diagnosed, it’s typically managed with medications that reduce the risk of stroke significantly. Because medication can control that risk, a missed or delayed diagnosis is especially dangerous.
Ischemic stroke can also be caused by transient ischemic attacks — mini-strokes — which are also an early warning sign of a larger stroke. Carotid artery disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes are also known triggers of ischemic stroke.
Injuries Caused by Ischemic Stroke
Because ischemic stroke injuries involve the brain, the severity of the injury is usually impacted by how long the brain went without blood or oxygen. Brain cells begin to die within minutes of being deprived of oxygen, which can cause irreparable damage to the brain.
One of the more common injuries is brain damage, but the damage can present in different forms. Victims may experience confusion or memory loss, difficulty thinking and concentrating, and changes in their personality. Victims may also exhibit changes in their behavior and have trouble controlling their emotions.
Damage to the brain can also lead to poor memory, trouble focusing, and poor judgment, which can make it difficult for the victim to work, manage their finances, and perform other basic daily tasks.
Some victims experience weakness or paralysis on one side of their body, often on the opposite side of the body where the stroke occurred. Patients may also notice facial drooping and the loss of coordination or balance.
Issues with vision and speech are often reported by ischemic stroke victims. Slurred or unclear speech, difficulty forming words, trouble understanding language, partial or complete vision loss, double vision, and loss of peripheral vision are all common amongst ischemic stroke survivors. These issues can seriously impact the everyday life of the victim and make independence difficult.
How can medical malpractice cause or worsen an ischemic stroke?
Strokes aren’t always preventable, but how medical staff react to the warning signs — which can be noticed months or weeks before a stroke — can make a major difference in how severely the victim is injured. Delays, mistakes, and breakdowns in care can make all the difference between recovery and permanent brain damage.
Oftentimes, symptoms of ischemic stroke can be ignored or viewed as a symptom of another condition, like migraines, when the patient complains of severe headache, or intoxication if the person’s words are slurred.
In other cases, the diagnosis or treatment is delayed for various reasons, wasting critical time to catch a potentially life-altering event. Sometimes doctors fail to order tests altogether that could have revealed underlying issues. Doctors aren’t perfect, and in many instances they misinterpret test results, leading to an inaccurate diagnosis or treatment plan.
Mistakes can be made with issuing or prescribing medication, monitoring high-risk patients, or in surgical environments, which can also contribute to ischemic stroke.
Regardless of how or why a mistake is made, if you or a loved one has suffered a stroke and believes medical negligence played a role, you need to contact Weisser Law today. Our team will examine your medical records from before and after the stroke to determine precisely where any medical malpractice occurred.
At Weisser Law, your traumatic experience isn’t just another case or more paperwork. Your life and future are at stake, and you deserve a legal team that understands how critical it is to hold accountable those who hurt you. Contact us today for your free, no-pressure consultation—Weisser Law, where we put people over profits.
Frequently asked questions about ischemic stroke.
Can medical malpractice cause an ischemic stroke?
Yes. Medical malpractice can contribute by failing to manage known risk factors like high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation, prescribing incorrect medications, or making surgical errors. In some cases, a stroke could have been prevented entirely with proper care, monitoring, and intervention.
What happens if a stroke is misdiagnosed?
Misdiagnosis can delay life-saving treatment, allowing brain damage to worsen. Conditions like migraines, seizures, or intoxication can mimic stroke symptoms, but failing to evaluate a patient properly can result in catastrophic outcomes. By the time the correct diagnosis is made, the opportunity for effective treatment may be gone.
What is the main difference between an ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke?
An ischemic stroke is caused by a blockage in a blood vessel supplying the brain, while a hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a vessel ruptures and bleeds. Ischemic strokes are far more common, accounting for the majority of cases. Both types interrupt oxygen delivery to brain tissue, but the underlying mechanisms and treatments differ. Rapid diagnosis is critical because treatments like clot-dissolving medications are only appropriate for ischemic strokes and must be given quickly to be effective.
How quickly do ischemic stroke injuries occur?
Brain damage can begin within minutes after blood flow is blocked. According to major health organizations, neurons deprived of oxygen start to die rapidly, and the longer the delay in treatment, the more severe the injury. This is why stroke is considered a medical emergency. Immediate care can limit damage, while delays often result in permanent disability, including paralysis, speech loss, or cognitive impairment.
Can ischemic stroke injuries be reversed?
Some effects can improve with early treatment and rehabilitation, but many injuries are permanent. Treatments like tPA can dissolve clots if given quickly, restoring blood flow and minimizing damage. However, once brain cells die, they cannot be replaced. Recovery depends on the severity of the stroke, the speed of treatment, and the quality of rehabilitation.
What causes blood clots that lead to ischemic stroke?
Blood clots can form due to plaque buildup in arteries (atherosclerosis) or originate in the heart and travel to the brain (embolism). Conditions like atrial fibrillation significantly increase clot risk. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, poor diet, and inactivity also contribute by damaging blood vessels and increasing plaque formation.