Diabetic Foot Amputation
If you have undergone a diabetic foot amputation and you think substandard medical care is to blame, please get in touch with us today. You could be entitled to pursue a medical compensation claim.
We specialise in medical negligence claims and have a dedicated team of solicitors ready to offer expert legal advice.
Diabetic foot amputation
Around 2.9 million people in the UK were known to have diabetes in 2013. Around 10% of these will develop a foot ulcer during their lifetime, which can lead to an amputation. In fact, three in every 1,000 diabetic patients lose their leg every year, of which 70% will be dead within five years.
Therefore the outlook for patients who undergo a diabetic foot amputation is poor. This makes it essential for patients and their medical practitioners to prevent a diabetic foot amputation. This can be achieved with good foot care and recognising the early signs of deterioration.
Reasons for diabetic foot amputation
A diabetic foot amputation normally happens because the patient has developed foot ulceration, or because the foot has become infected resulting in major tissue damage. We will look at each of these in turn.
Foot ulceration in diabetes
Foot ulceration is when open sores develop on the foot. This might happen in a diabetic patient due to:
1. Ischaemia
Ischaemia is the medical way of saying oxygen deficiency. An ischaemia foot is more likely to affect a diabetic patient because the condition is associated with poor blood circulation.
Having consistently high blood glucose levels hardens the vessels, making it difficult for blood to flow around the body properly. Circulation will be particularly poor in the extremities, such as the feet. Blood carries oxygen around the body, meaning poor circulation in the feet will result in ischaemia.
Ischaemia will cause the tissues to break down as the cells cannot survive without oxygen. This can result in an open sore developing.
Foot ischaemia will be characterised by a cold, pale foot, ulcers and gangrene, absent pulse in the ankle, and low ankle brachial plexus pressure.
2. Neuropathy
Neuropathy is the medical way of saying nerve damage. Neuropathy is linked to diabetes because high glucose levels in the blood can injure the blood vessels. The blood supply to the nerves will then be disrupted, in turn damaging the nerves.
Neuropathy will be characterised by numbness in the foot. There may also be callouses and ulcers around pressure points. The loss of sensation is dangerous because the patient will not be able to feel when a sore, cut or graze. Consequently the wound may deteriorate or become infected without the patient realising.
3. Ischaemia and neuropathy
It is possible that a patient requiring a foot amputation has both ischaemia and neuropathy.
Foot infection in diabetes
A diabetic foot amputation can also become necessary after an infection.
An infection may enter the body through a cut on the foot. Or it may enter via an ulcer that has already developed on the foot. If a patient also has neuropathy, he/she may not initially realise that their foot is infected because there is no sensation.
An infected foot can quickly lead to gangrene, where the tissue dies from a reduced blood supply. Furthermore, the infection can soon spread to the bloodstream, resulting in septicaemia.
A diabetic foot infection can be extremely fast-moving. A large area of tissue can become gangrenous within a short space of time, making it impossible to save the foot. Septicaemia is a potentially life-threatening condition, and again this can arise within days of infection.
Preventing diabetic foot amputation
Therefore any diabetic patient with signs of infection (such as pus and gangrene) should have an urgent same day referral to a vascular surgeon. Pus can then be drained and antibiotics given. If the tissue has started to become gangrenous, this will need to be surgically removed. If this is achieved in time, the foot can be salvaged.
The same applies to foot ulceration and neuropathy, although the situation will not deteriorate as quickly as a foot infection. Rather, the key to prevention is good foot care. When a patient is diagnosed with diabetes, he/she should undergo annual foot checks. A foot check should also be conducted if any foot problems arise, and during any admission to hospital. A patient should be told how to care for their feet and the importance of seeking medical help should there be signs of ulceration or infection.
If there are any signs that of a diabetic foot problem, the patient should be immediately referred to hospital. This includes:
- Ulceration with fever/sepsis signs
- Ulceration with limb ischaemia
- Signs soft tissue/bone infection
- Gangrene
Diabetic foot amputation from poor medical care
If early steps are not taken to prevent diabetic foot problems, resulting in an amputation, there may be some medicolegal issues at play. This means that medical practitioners may not have provided a reasonable standard of care, causing (or contributing towards) the foot amputation.
For example, medical professionals may have failed to:
- Recognise a patient at risk of developing a foot ulcer
- Recognise that a patient's glucose levels were not under control
- Urgently refer a patient with diabetic foot problems within 24 hours
- Use the correct diagnostic tools, such as an MRI scan
- Treat a patient with early antibiotics
If this has happened to you or your loved one, you need to speak to a solicitor to clarify your options. If there has been a case of medical negligence, you will be entitled to make a medical negligence compensation claim.
Compensation for diabetic foot amputation
Undergoing a foot amputation will undoubtedly change your entire life. Tasks which are normally considered 'every-day' will become difficult or even impossible – such as driving a car, walking and cooking. The patient's ability to work may also be compromised, leading to serious financial strain.
When you make a claim for a diabetic foot amputation, your compensation settlement will reflect all of these damages – incorporating your physical, emotional and financial suffering.
Contact us today
To find out whether you can claim diabetic foot amputation, please contact us today.
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