A 32-year-old British woman died after doctors dismissed her symptoms and told her she was suffering from stress. Rhian Griffiths, from Manchester, told physicians that she had experienced shortness of breath and heart palpitations for more than two years, but doctors consistently dismissed her concerns.
Griffiths first began experiencing symptoms following a Covid diagnosis in 2020 and sought help at a local emergency room. Her sister, Ffion Griffiths-Armstrong, said Rhian underwent extensive testing and was released from hospital believing all was well. After receiving the Covid vaccination in early 2021, the problems started up again, and doctors once again uncovered no cause.
Last March, Ms. Griffiths told her family that her heart was “playing up” and she was going to take herself to hospital. She felt unwell for a week and sought medical help three times – on the third clinic visit, she was admitted for overnight observation. At 2 am that morning, Griffiths was found unresponsive and her family advised to make their way to the hospital. She died hours later and an autopsy revealed acute myocarditis.
Medical experts describe acute myocarditis as inflammation of the myocardium – the heart muscle. It is sometimes caused by viral infection, but also has other less understood sources. It can affect young people and is difficult to diagnose, meaning its prevalence is not accurately known. Symptoms are chest pain and arrhythmias, which can also signify a range of other illnesses and further complicate diagnoses.
Data on the disease is equally difficult to collate, but the National Library of Medicine estimates that there are roughly 1.5 million cases worldwide every year. There are no accurate figures for the United States, but various related estimates suggest that between 1% and 5% of viral infections impact the myocardium.
Meanwhile, almost 800,000 Americans die or are permanently harmed by erroneous medical diagnoses every year. A Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence report estimated that 371,000 deaths and 424,000 disabilities result from doctor error in various settings including local clinics, emergency departments, and hospital wards.
