Women at Greater Risk for Heart Attack Misdiagnosis
24September2013
Women who do not have chest pain during a heart attack are more likely to be victims of diagnostic errors by health care providers, a recent study suggests.
Chest pain is the most common symptom of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) such as heart attacks and unstable angina in both men and women. But the new study, published in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found that one out of five women diagnosed with ACS did not show signs of chest pain or discomfort.
The medical research team led doctors at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver evaluated differences in symptoms among 1,015 patients who had been hospitalized after suffering ACS. The patients ranged in age from 18 to 55 and a third were women.
Chest pain was the classic symptom in approximately 80% of the cases. Chest pain is well-recognized and should prompt doctors to evaluate patients for possible acute coronary syndrome and the need for life saving treatment.
However, approximately 19% of the female patients did not show signs of chest pain, compared with 14% of male patients. As a result, women are more likely to be misdiagnosed in emergency rooms and are at higher risk of dying than patients who report chest pain.
The researchers said doctors should remain vigilant for possible ACS in younger patients, particularly women, even if they don’t display chest pain, since one out of five diagnosed with ACS do not show classic signs. Women were more likely than men to report symptoms such as flushing, weakness, nausea, vomiting, right arm, and right shoulder pain.
According to the study, it remains unclear why a high proportion of women than men do not display symptoms of chest pain.
The Washington medical malpractice lawyers at Morrow Kidman Tinker Macey-Cushman, PLLC represent victims of medical negligence by doctors, nurses, technicians, and other medical personnel in the Seattle area and across Washington.
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