Discharged from A & E With Incomplete Cauda Equina Syndrome
Following an accident at work, Ron immediately began to feel pain in his lower back. This was shortly followed by signs of loss of sensation around the saddle area. Ron decided to see his osteopath for a consultation three days later.
By this time, Ron was feeling a loss of flexibility in his ankle and a loss of sensation in the groin and around the anus. Ron's osteopath recognised that these symptoms could indicate a serious problem and advised him to see his GP.
The following day, Ron's GP was concerned at the changes to Ron's experience of urinating and emptying his bowels and referred him to A & E immediately.
At A & E however, the concerns previously expressed about Ron's symptoms seemed to diminish. Although Ron felt that the numbness in his saddle area was getting worse, and despite an examination which recorded reduced sensation and loss of ankle reflex, Ron was discharged home with a plan for an outpatient MRI.
Ron should, in fact, have been referred for an urgent MRI at that point, which would have shown a disc herniation. He should have undergone emergency surgery to decompress the cauda equina nerves at the base of his back.
Instead, however, Ron returned to A & E two days later having experienced an episode of faecal incontinence. This time, an examination led to the conclusion that an urgent MRI was necessary but, sadly, Ron's symptoms had deteriorated over the intervening two days.
Ron underwent emergency surgery that same day but, due to the delay in diagnosis, he has been left with more severe loss of function than would probably otherwise have been the case.
Ron has been left with significant sexual and bladder dysfunction and it is unlikely that he will now recover this lost function.
Ron approached us for support with a claim for compensation and our experts agreed that Ron was exhibiting red flag symptoms of incomplete cauda equina syndrome when he first attended A & E. Had he undergone surgery at that point, he is likely to have made a good recovery. As it is, the delay in diagnosis and surgery has severely impacted on his life.
Ron received more than £75,000 in compensation.
(Details which might identify our client have been changed.)
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