Missed Diagnosis of Stroke Statistics

Published on August 16, 2024

A stroke is a life-threatening emergency that occurs when the blood flow to the brain is suddenly interrupted due to either a blockage or bleeding in the brain. Around 800,000 individuals are diagnosed with strokes each year, a concerning statistic. What’s even more concerning to the medical community is the alarming prevalence of strokes that are not promptly diagnosed, but either misdiagnosed or missed completely during the diagnostic process. What causes a missed diagnosis of a stroke, and how often do strokes go undiagnosed or have a delayed diagnosis until after the window of opportunity to prevent permanent harm passes?

If you suspect medical negligence played a role in a missed stroke diagnosis, consulting with a Phoenix medical malpractice attorney can help you understand your legal options.

Why Are Strokes Often Misdiagnosed?

Symptoms of stroke may mimic other conditions, including common headaches. Vague symptoms like headache, nausea, and vertigo are easily misdiagnosed as other conditions when ER doctors fail to make accurate assessments, fail to order the proper diagnostic tests, or misinterpret test results. Neuroimaging tests can accurately diagnose strokes but they are not ordered on all patients who present with symptoms like headache and dizziness. Often, stroke signs are non-specific. Missed stroke diagnoses more commonly occur in women and younger patients compared to men. Women often present with atypical stroke symptoms compared to men, with vague signs like hiccups, fatigue, and racing heartbeat.

Statistics on Stroke Misdiagnoses and Missed Diagnosis

When a stroke isn’t promptly diagnosed and correctly treated, it results in worsened outcomes, disability, and death. Sadly, a substantial number of stroke patients suffer missed diagnoses or are misdiagnosed with the wrong condition. Startling statistics on stroke misdiagnoses include the following:

• About 800,000 strokes occur each year in the U.S.
• Stroke kills 129,000 people in the U.S. each year
• Over 9% of stroke victims are initially misdiagnosed, but the rate of misdiagnoses ranges between 24-60% when patients present with non-specific or transient symptoms
• Strokes are the fourth most commonly misdiagnosed serious medical condition
• An estimated 165,000 strokes are misdiagnosed each year and 100,000 stroke diagnoses are missed
• Strokes are missed more often in women, patients under age 45, and non-white individuals
• About $40 billion is spent on stroke costs each year
• Strokes are a leading cause of disability and death each year
• The odds of a correct stroke diagnosis are 25% lower in women
• Minorities are 20-30% more likely to have a missed stroke diagnosis
• One stroke study showed a delayed diagnosis of stroke in 49 of 408 patients in the study resulting in a missed chance for an improved outcome in 36.7% of patients
• Another study of 187,188 patient records showed that 12.7% of patients who were later admitted to the hospital for a stroke had been sent home from an E.R erroneously with stroke symptoms within 30 days before the more serious stroke

Accurate diagnosis and early treatment of strokes improve outcomes by as much as 80% and reduce the chances of a second stroke.

Understanding the Signs of a Stroke

The most common signs of a stroke include severe headache, dizziness, loss of coordination and balance, sudden vision problems, sudden numbness, weakness, or sudden sagging of the face or limbs—particularly when they occur only on one side.

A prompt medical diagnosis and appropriate treatment are critical for stroke patients. Medical providers have a duty to recognize the signs of a stroke, even when they are atypical. When a doctor misses accurately diagnosing a stroke and the result is a worsened outcome or wrongful death, the provider or facility is liable for the victim’s economic and non-economic damages.