Burst Appendix Medical Compensation Claim
If doctors did not diagnose your appendicitis, causing your appendix to burst, you may have been the victim of medical negligence.
To find out if you can make a medical compensation claim for missed appendicitis, you will need to talk to a solicitor about the care you received. Ideally you need to talk to someone who specialises in clinical negligence law as this will ensure you are given the correct legal advice.
Expert legal advice
At Glynns Solicitors we deal primarily with clinical negligence and offer everyone a free, no obligation enquiry. This gives you the chance to find out if you can claim without the worry of having to pay a legal fee.
We will listen to the details of your case before saying whether you are eligible to pursue a medical compensation claim. If so, we will run the claim on your behalf, working to get the justice you deserve.
To find out more about making a compensation claim, please contact us today. Or to find out more about appendicitis, a burst appendix and medical negligence, please continue reading this article.
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is when the appendix becomes inflamed. The appendix is a small pouch joined to the large intestine (colon).
The appendix no longer has a function and human beings can live without it. In fact, some people will have their appendix removed intentionally to ensure they do not suffer appendicitis. This normally applies to people who cannot readily get medical treatment, such as Antarctic explorers and astronauts.
Although appendicitis is a common condition, with 40,000 cases of appendicitis in England every year, it is not really known what causes it. Generally it is thought that appendicitis happens when something blocks the entrance to the appendix – for example, a piece of faeces or an enlarged lymph node.
When the entrance is blocked, the appendix will become infected, resulting in a painful inflammation.
Burst appendix
If the inflamed appendix is not removed, it will continue to swell. Eventually the pressure will be so great that the appendix bursts. A burst appendix is also referred to as a ruptured or perforated appendix.
A burst appendix is a very dangerous thing. This is because the infection inside the appendix will be released into the abdominal cavity. The lining of the abdominal cavity – called the peritoneum – will then become infected. This is called peritonitis.
Peritonitis can quickly lead to sepsis, where the infection spreads to the bloodstream. At this stage the patient will be critically unwell and their life will be at risk. Sepsis is a serious condition and if not treated in time can result in septic shock, multi-system organ failure and death.
Burst appendix and medical negligence
If you or your loved one has suffered a burst appendix, you need to consider whether or not medical error is to blame.
Sometimes a patient will suffer a burst appendix because he/she did not seek medical assistance in time. The symptoms of appendicitis are quite general, including severe abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. A person may believe these symptoms to be caused by something other than appendicitis (such as food poisoning) and so will put off going to a doctor. Only when the appendix has burst will they realise that something is seriously wrong.
However, we have seen many cases in which a patient has gone to their GP or hospital complaining of appendicitis symptoms, only to be sent home with a wrong diagnosis. In some instances patients will return repeatedly to their family doctor and/or hospital, but time and time again they are discharged.
Frequently a patient will be told that they have a more minor condition such as gastroenteritis or a urinary tract infection. This misdiagnosis may occur because clinicians only consider a patient's symptoms (which can be similar to other less serious infections), rather than carrying out diagnostic tests.
What should happen is that a patient has an examination and a blood test. The results will reveal a high white blood cell count and CRP count. This will indicate a severe infection. When considered alongside the patient's symptoms, it would be reasonable to make a diagnosis of appendicitis.
Claiming for a burst appendix
Therefore you will be able to make a claim if your burst appendix occurred due to medical error.
Ask yourself: if a diagnosis had been made earlier, would it have ensured timely surgical treatment, thereby preventing the appendix from bursting? If the answer is yes, it is very likely that you have been the victim of substandard medical care. If this has caused you unnecessary physical, emotional and financial damage, there could be grounds for a compensation claim.
Sadly patients can die of a burst appendix. If your loved one has passed away because of untreated appendicitis, you can make a claim on behalf of their estate.
Talk to a solicitor
A burst appendix can cause significant trauma, including:
- Long-lasting abdominal pain
- Loss of mobility, with difficulty bending down, lifting and exercising
- Unsightly scarring across the abdomen
- Psychological trauma associated with being critically unwell and time in hospital
- Psychological trauma associated with the sight of the scar and the impact this has had on the patient's everyday life – e.g. wearing different clothes, loss of confidence, loss of sexual desire
- Loss of earnings while off sick
- Inability to work in the short or long term
- Inability to financially support dependants
If you have incurred injuries such as those described above because of a burst appendix, please do not hesitate to talk to a solicitor who specialises in medical negligence (also called clinical negligence).
Free, no obligation enquiry
We offer everyone a free, no obligation enquiry. This means you can talk to a solicitor completely free of charge. After this consultation you will be given expert legal advice, during which you will be told whether you have grounds to make a claim.
However, you do not have to pursue the matter any further if you do not want to. Even if you are advised there are grounds for a claim, you can decide not to take legal action and we will close the file.
Please call us free on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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