Hypertension & Stroke Case Study
The Devil is in the Details: A recent case study involved review of a case regarding a hypertensive urgency and stroke. The patient presented with a blood pressure of 190/120 and an ischemic stroke. The attorney who filed the claim alleged that the health care provider’s failure to quickly lower the patient’s blood pressure was negligent and contributed to a worsening stroke.
It is common knowledge that a severely elevated blood pressure is unhealthy and that the average individual should maintain a blood pressure lower than 140/90. In this instance however, rapid lowering of the blood pressure could have led to decreased blood circulation in the brain, thereby worsening the stroke. The healthcare provider acted according to an acceptable standard of care by gradually lowering the patient’s blood pressure.
Had the the attorney who filed this case looked beyond what seemed to be obvious, he might have saved considerable expense on his part and the aggravation of an unnecessary lawsuit on the part of those involved.
If you need to take a closer look at a case, our registered nurses at Nurse Paralegal USA would be happy to help!