Delay in Treating an Aortic Aneurysm Due to Medical Malpractice

Negligence Resulting from a Delay in Treating An Aortic Aneurysm in Oregon

An aortic aneurysm is considered to be a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment on diagnosis. Failure to treat can lead to death. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2018 alone 9,923 people died of aortic aneurism. This is why early diagnosis is essential to prevent death. Unfortunately, a diagnosis is not always made in a timely manner, leading to death. When a physician fails to diagnose an aortic aneurysm due to their own error which then leads to the patient experience a serious complication or even death, this is considered to be negligence. A delay in treating an aortic aneurysm can be catastrophic and due to medical malpractice in Oregon.

What is an Aortic Aneurysm?

An aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the aorta. People die from aortic aneurysms due to them rupturing or dissecting. The reason why they are so deadly is because one the artery wall bursts, it causes bleeding within the layers of the artery wall or in the case of rupture, bleeding inside the body. The aorta is the after that brings blood form the heart through the torso and chest. 

Types of Aortic Aneurysms

There are a few different types of aortic aneurysms. These include the following:

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm – abdominal aortic aneurysms occur in the abdomen and are more common than thoracic aortic aneurysms. The most common cause of abdominal aortic aneurysm is hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), but can also be caused by other things such as injury or infection
• Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm – Thoracic aortic aneurysms occur in the chest and are usually caused by hypertension or injury
• Other Aneurysms – Brain aneurysms and peripheral aneurysms are other examples of aneurysms

Signs and Symptoms of Aortic Aneurysms

Signs and symptoms of aortic aneurysms depend on the location of the aneurysm. People with an abdominal aortic aneurysm may experience pain in the legs, buttocks or groin, or a throbbing pain in the side or back. People with thoracic aortic aneurysms may experience shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or sudden very sharp pain in the upper back or chest. 

Aortic Aneurysm Medical Malpractice

While some aortic aneurysms may go undetected and their lack of diagnosis is not the fault of a physician or other healthcare provider, there are times when a health care provider could have detected the aortic aneurysm before it caused a more serious problem, leading to death (i.e. rupture or dissection). Examples of medical malpractice in relation to aortic aneurysms include the following: 

• Failure to diagnose an aortic aneurysm – not all aneurysms can be detected prior to rupture or dissection, but approximately 30% of abdominal aortic aneurysms are detected on physical exam before they rupture in asymptomatic people
• Failure to diagnose aortic aneurysm in a symptomatic person – if a person presents with a pulsing sensation in the abdomen, chest pain radiating to the back, hoarseness, shortness of breath, back, neck, leg or chest pain with no injury or other cause, this should prompt the physician to conduct further testing 
• Failure to identify and treat a ruptures aortic aneurysm – if a patient presents with severe pain in the chest, abdomen or back that comes on suddenly, or confusion, light-headedness, rapid heart beat or nausea and vomiting, this should prompt the physician to immediately conduct testing
• Failure to appropriately triage a patient
• Providing inappropriate treatment for aortic aneurysm, rupture or dissection
• Surgical errors during repair of ruptured or dissected aortic aneurysm

These are just a few of the many ways that healthcare providers can be at fault for you or your loved one’s complications from an aortic aneurysm. 

Was There a Delay in Treating Your Aortic Aneurism?  We Can Help

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form.  We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.

Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton,  Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles,  St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.

We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.