Alleged mismanagement of stroke

Stroke is a medical emergency and acute management is complex and time-sensitive. Recent research strongly confirms the benefit of thrombectomy. Researchers have interrogated large legal databases in the USA, searching for jury verdicts and settlements in cases related to the acute care of stroke patients in that nation. Only cases in which an allegation of negligence in the acute care of a patient with a stroke were included. There were 246 medical malpractice cases related to the acute management of ischemic stroke and 26 related to intracranial hemorrhage, and about a third of these alleged a failure to treat with tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) and 7 cases alleged a failure to treat, or to treat in a timely fashiion with thrombectomy. 151 cases (56%) ended with no payout, 74 cases (27%) were settled out of court, and 47 cases (17%) went to court and resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff. The average payout when settled out of court was just over $1.8 million, whereas the average payout in plaintiff verdicts was $9. 70 million. The authors of the study, which can be read here, suggest that changes in practice guidelines increase the likelihood of further lawsuits in coming years.