Patient Suffers Undiagnosed Stroke After Car Accident

Case Overview

This case involves a male patient in Tennessee who was previously in excellent health who was involved in a car accident. The patient began to feel neck muscle stiffness, headaches and shoulder pain days after the incident occurred. The patient presented to his primary care doctor, who diagnosed him with muscle spasms. A week later, the patient presented to the emergency room with complaints of right-sided weakness, vomiting, headache, and sensitivity to light. Doctors undertook some lab testing, but did not immediately order an MRI of the patient’s brain. The patient was given pain and nausea medication, however his condition continued to deteriorate. An MRI later revealed the presence of a hemorrhagic stroke, and the patient went on to suffer from permanent brain damage.