Common Signs of Blood Clots in Atlanta

The impact of a blood clot cannot be understated. When a medical professional ignores the common signs of blood clots in Atlanta, victims could be placed in unnecessary and serious risk. Many cases involving blood clots result in the death of a victim. If someone you loved was harmed or died as a result of a doctor’s negligence, you need to connect with a lawyer who could place your needs at the front of a claim and vie for the compensation you need.

Common Signs and Symptoms of Blood Clots

The most common symptoms and signs for blood clots depend on the type of clots. For deep vein thrombosis or DVT, which is a clot that occurs in the deep veins, usually the legs or arms, symptoms include swelling, which is usually of the limp, pain in that limb, and some tenderness. Alleged victims describe it as feeling like a serious cramp. There might be some reddish or bluish skin discoloration. Also, sometimes the affected limb could be warm to the touch.

The other kind of blood clot seen a lot of is the pulmonary embolism. It is the more serious of the two clots. It happens when the clot has broken off, usually from the lower leg or a limb, and goes up to the lung. The signs and the symptoms of a pulmonary embolism are sudden shortness of breath, chest pain that is sharp and stabbing and gets worse with deep breaths, an increased heart rate, and an unexplained persistent cough sometimes with bloody mucus involved. It is referred to as a PE.

Blod Clot Presenting Illnesses

There are certain conditions with similar symptoms. Cellulitis or vasculitis could lead to discoloring of the skin that mimics some of the issues with DVT. A compartment syndrome is something that someone could get in an arm or in a leg that also could cause significant pain. When talking about PEs, sometimes they are misdiagnosed as pneumonia or other respiratory-type issues that could cause the shortness of breath.

A Medical Professionals Duty When Diagnosing These Symptoms

The steps a medical professional should take in diagnosing these symptoms include reviewing the history to figure out what exact symptoms the patient is experiencing, what it is causing, when it started and why. Professionals need to obtain a full history. The next step is a physical examination to try to determine what the cause of the symptoms are. The last step is to run certain tests to determine whether or not the person is suffering from a blood clot.

The kinds of tests performed to diagnose blood clots are certain imaging tests. For example, if it is a DVT, medical professionals could do a doppler or an ultrasound to determine if there are clots. There is a blood test known as a d-dimer which could be done to determine whether or not the person has a clot. Other types of imaging tests include CTs and MRI scans to determine whether or not somebody has a blood clot.

Treatment Options

Yes, blood clots are treatable. Treatment for blood clots is aimed at preventing the clot from becoming larger and preventing it from breaking loose. If it breaks loose and gets into the lungs, it could cause the pulmonary embolism. Often, blood thinners are given. Those are referred to as anticoagulant and decrease the body’s ability to clot. Clot-busting drugs could be used to break up the clot quickly. In more extreme cases, doctors and staff could also insert filters into the person’s large vein, which is the vena cava. That prevents clots from breaking loose and getting into a person’s lungs. Other treatment, which is low-tech treatment, includes wearing compression stockings, which help prevent the swelling associated with the deep vein thrombosis.

Compensation Available to Victims of Malpractice Involving Blood Clots

Medical malpractice cases involving blood clots typically happen when a clot broke off, got into the lungs, and caused a pulmonary embolism. In most of those cases the person dies because it is a very serious complication and condition. In those cases, the compensation available is for the wrongful death, the full value of the life of the person, funeral and medical costs, and the loss of capacity to earn. These forms of compensation are typical in a wrongful death case. In cases where the clot does not result in death, the compensation sought is typically for pain and suffering.

Since it often leads to a sickness for a period of time in which the person is unable to work and unable to earn a living, recoverable losses include lost wages and loss of capacity to work. There is usually a long hospitalization recovery time, so medical bills are part of it. If the person is married, it could also lead to a loss of consortium for the household services that the person could no longer do while he or she is incapacitated.

With the help of an in house medical professional, lawyers could build a case against a medical professional for not recognizing the common signs of blood clots in Atlanta and hold him or her accountable for his or her mistake. Attorneys could gather evidence, draft a claim, and present all findings with cutting-edge courtroom presentation technology.

Let an Attorney Help

If a doctor deviated from the standard of care owed to you or a loved one and ignored the common signs of blood clots in Atlanta, you may very well have a case against that person. With the help of an experienced team of lawyers, you could rest assured that there are people who are working in your favor to obtain the compensation you deserve. Call today to speak directly to a lawyer who takes calls after hours and for a free case review.