Strokes Caused By Insufficient Anticoagulant
If you or your loved one has suffered a stroke because medical professionals failed to prescribe sufficient anticoagulant medication, you need to speak to a solicitor without delay. This is because you could be in a position to claim compensation for the devastating consequences medical errors have caused you and your family.
How do anticoagulants help prevent a stroke?
When we suffer a wound (either internal or external) our bodies form a clot that seals the injury, preventing excessive blood loss. However, some people's blood will clot too quickly, causing a blood clot to form in the wrong place. This can be extremely dangerous, as it will block a blood vessel and interrupt the blood supply. This can lead to a number of life-threatening conditions, including a stroke, mini-stroke, heart attack, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
Nevertheless, conditions such as strokes can be avoided with the use of anticoagulant medication. This helps to disrupt the formation of blood clots, meaning they are less likely to develop when they are not needed. Anyone who is suspected of being at risk of excessive clotting should undergo a blood test to assess their international normalisation ratio (INR), as this is an excellent indicator of how fast the blood clots. This might include people who are:-
- Overweight;
- Smoke;
- Have limited mobility;
- Have a poor diet;
- Have circulatory conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol;
- Have diabetes;
- Have had a new heart valve inserted.
If an INR rating is found to be abnormal, a patient should be prescribed anticoagulant medication. The exact type and dose will be determined by their INR rating. Regular follow-up appointments should then be maintained to ensure the dosage does not need to be increased or decreased.
What if an insufficient amount of anticoagulant is provided?
If an insufficient amount of anticoagulant medication is provided, the patient in question will remain at risk of developing a blood clot. This will commonly result in a heart attack or a stroke, as the blood vessels become blocked and prevent blood from flowing to certain areas of the body. This can lead to permanent health complications or may even result in death.
If this has happened to you or a loved one, you need to consider why the correct amount of anticoagulation was not prescribed. Was it because doctors failed to accurately analyse your tests results? Or was it because medical professionals failed to arrange further follow-up appointments to ensure you were taking the correct dose? If either scenario has happened to you, then it may be that medical professionals are directly to blame for your injuries. If so, you will be able to make a claim against them.
To talk about claiming compensation for damages caused by insufficient anticoagulant, contact a medical negligence solicitor today.
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Early legal assistance can be vital so please contact us if you would like to discuss your situation. Please call us free on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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