Doctors Misdiagnose Stroke as Migraine

Case Overview

This case takes place in South Carolina and involves a male patient with permanent limitations to his movement following an ischemic stroke. One day, the patient experienced the sudden onset of severe headache, slurred speech, weakness, and an unequal and uneven smile and facial features. He presented to the ER and was initially diagnosed with a migraine by the defendant physicians. The patient was prescribed Topamax and was sent home. Some time later, the patient returned to the ER and a CT was performed which showed no evidence of hemorrhage. The patient was not administered tPA until later that night, at which point significant neurological damage had occurred. It is alleged that by delaying the administration of tPA, the treatment fell outside of the window of opportunity to prevent permanent injury.