Subarachnoid Haemorrhage
If a subarachnoid haemorrhage is misdiagnosed or treatment is delayed, there could be grounds for a medical negligence compensation claim.
If you have been the victim of subarachnoid haemorrhage medical negligence, or someone close to you has, please contact us at Glynns Solicitors. We will tell you whether there are grounds for a compensation claim.
Subarachnoid haemorrhage – the clinical picture
A subarachnoid haemorrhage is when there is bleeding on the brain, usually due to an aneurysm. More specifically, the bleeding happens in the space between the pia and the arachnoid layers in the brain.
Most will develop a sudden, severe headache. This may be followed by a period of unconsciousness. If the patient wakes, he/she will experience vomiting, sensitivity to light and a stiff neck.
Subarachnoid haemorrhage deaths
Out of every 100 people who have a subarachnoid haemorrhage, 30 will die before even being admitted to hospital. Of the remainder, 50% will have a re-bleed in the first six weeks if no treatment is given.
That means that without treatment, just 20% will be alive within 10 years of a subarachnoid haemorrhage, although half of these will be disabled.
Therefore the outlook for a subarachnoid haemorrhage left untreated is poor. There is a very small chance that a patient will survive without sustaining life-changing injuries. The majority will die within the first six weeks. Even if a patient does live, the brain damage may result in cognitive impairment.
Diagnosing a subarachnoid haemorrhage
Severe headache and a stiff neck are characteristic of both a subarachnoid haemorrhage and meningitis. Each condition is potentially fatal without immediate treatment. Therefore when a medical practitioner is presented with a patient complaining of headache and neck stiffness, no time should be wasted in proceeding with further investigation.
The first test should be a CT scan of the brain. This may show bleeding on the brain. However, sometimes a patient with a subarachnoid haemorrhage will have a negative CT scan – in other words, no bleeding or other abnormalities can be seen. Because of this, a negative CT scan is not enough to exclude a diagnosis of subarachnoid haemorrhage.
This means that following a negative CT scan, the patient should have a lumbar puncture. The following results will indicate that a patient has a subarachnoid haemorrhage: uniform blood staining, fluid yellow in colour and the presence of bilirubin/other blood products. A lumbar puncture also enables medical practitioners to rule out a diagnosis of meningitis.
Emergency treatment for subarachnoid haemorrhage
If tests suggest that a patient has a subarachnoid haemorrhage, he/she must be urgently transferred to a neurosurgical unit. Additional tests may then be carried out, such as an angiography, MRI scan and another CT scan.
The patient should then be listed for emergency surgery, during which coils are inserted into the aneurysm (endovascular coiling) or the aneurysm is clipped (neurosurgical clipping).
There must not be any delays in performing surgery, as some patients will re-bleed within 24 hours. This bleed could prove fatal, or it could produce life-changing disabilities. To prevent these devastating consequences, a patient must be considered an emergency case and their operation prioritised.
Diagnosing and treating subarachnoid haemorrhage
Thus an acceptable standard of care for a subarachnoid haemorrhage would be:
- Suspect subarachnoid haemorrhage based upon the patient's symptoms of headache and neck stiffness. There may or may not be vomiting, loss of consciousness and other symptoms.
- Refer the patient to hospital (if not already in hospital)
- Admit the patient for a CT scan and lumbar puncture
- Transfer the patient to a neurosurgical team
- Provide surgical treatment within 48 hours of admission
There must not be any delays during the course of this care, or preventable complications may arise.
Subarachnoid haemorrhage medical negligence
If this standard of care is not achieved and a patient is harmed as a result, there could be grounds for a medical negligence claim.
Often subarachnoid haemorrhage negligence claims occur due to:
- A misdiagnosis
- Delays in diagnosis
- Delays in treatment, despite a diagnosis
- Issues with consent – e.g. failing to consent the patient or their family
The negligence may relate to the actions of GPs, A&E staff, the neurosurgical team, or all three. Common acts of negligence include:
- A GP does not refer a patient to hospital
- A hospital does not order [urgent] tests
- A hospital does not interpret test results correctly
- The patient is listed for surgery but not as an emergency
Making a claim
If you or your loved one has been subject to such acts of negligence, please get in touch with us at Glynns Solicitors. It may be that fatal or life-changing injuries were sustained because of a re-bleed, but this could have been prevented with better medical care. Whether the potential claim relates to you or your loved one, we can offer you expert legal advice. We will listen to the details of the case, asking you to explain the care that was provided and the injuries that were ultimately suffered.
After careful consideration, we will say whether or not you have grounds to proceed with legal action. This may involve suing a GP, hospital or various clinicians/organisations. If your loved one died from their injuries, or has lost mental capacity, you can make a claim on their behalf.
Do I want to make a claim?
You may question whether you want to make a medical negligence claim, particularly if you are still coping with the trauma you have experienced. It is entirely your choice, and you do not have to proceed with a claim, even if we say there is a strong chance that you will succeed.
However, many people say that making a claim helps them come to terms with what has happened. It offers some form of action and an opportunity to access justice. Mistakes will be exposed and there may even be an admission of guilt.
If you have been left financially unstable as a result of the negligence, making a claim will also ensure that you recover all the money you have lost. This incorporates past and future earnings.
Get in touch
If you would like to speak to a solicitor about a subarachnoid haemorrhage medical negligence claim, please get in touch with us today.
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