Compensation for Delayed Treatment of Sepsis
Delayed diagnosis and treatment of sepsis may prove fatal. Survivors of this appalling illness often suffer long-term poor health. If medical professionals have delayed diagnosis or treatment, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
Treating sepsis
Treating sepsis is a medical emergency. The international guidelines on the treatment of sepsis recommend the initiation of treatment with the use of intravenous antibiotics within one hour of diagnosis.
Furthermore, medical staff in hospitals are expected to raise the alert if a patient being treated for sepsis does not respond to treatment.
These guidelines are an indication of the severity of this life-threatening illness. Around 11 million people die of sepsis globally each year with approximately 40% of cases being in children.
For survivors, the impact can often also be traumatic, affecting an individual both physically and psychologically. Symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and mobility problems can produce a long-term reduction in the individual's quality of life.
However, in the UK alone approximately 10,000 deaths from sepsis each year are thought to be avoidable with earlier recognition and prompt treatment.
Diagnosing sepsis
Recognising the symptoms at an early stage is key to a positive long-term outcome. Whether in primary care or in hospital, any signs that the patient might be developing sepsis should receive immediate attention.
Symptoms which might indicate that an individual is developing sepsis include the following:
- Extreme shivering or a fever
- Severe breathlessness
- Not passing urine
- Confusion or slurred speech
- Discoloured skin
Sepsis is a dysfunctional immune system response to infection, usually either a chest or abdominal infection, so the presence of infection in a patient may also indicate that they may be developing sepsis.
A failure by medical professionals to recognise and act upon the symptoms of sepsis may be regarded as poor-quality care.
Should the patient subsequently suffer a poor outcome it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
A successful compensation claim can provide recompense for pain, suffering and financial losses associated with the negligence.
Speak to a solicitor
If your loved one has died from sepsis due to poor medical care, or if they are struggling with the long-term impact of this shocking illness, contact Glynns Solicitors to talk to a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
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