Claiming Compensation for Necrotising Fasciitis Delays
Any delay in the medical response to necrotising fasciitis could prove fatal. Should the patient survive this shocking illness, medical delays are, nonetheless, likely to cause the patient to suffer a poorer long-term outcome. It may be appropriate to consider making a claim for compensation if this has happened.
Necrotising fasciitis overview
Necrotising fasciitis is a horrific bacterial infection which destroys the deep, soft tissue of the body. It can spread at an alarming rate, causing increasing levels of damage and threatening the patient's major organs. Surgery is almost always necessary to try to resolve this infection and this can also cause dramatic additional damage to the patient's body.
Diagnosis delay
A delay in diagnosis will inevitably mean a delay in the commencement of treatment.
Given that necrotising fasciitis can spread at a rate of 3 cms per hour, every minute of delay will allow the infection to increase. The patient will become increasingly ill and increasingly likely to die. The patient's very life-support functions will come under increasing pressure.
Consequently, it is absolutely crucial that medical professionals should have a high suspicion of necrotising fasciitis when confronted with the possible symptoms of this appalling illness. A failure to consider or investigate or refer for expert advice may contribute to a very poor outcome indeed. In such circumstances, a claim for compensation may be appropriate.
Delayed surgery in necrotising fasciitis
Surgery for necrotising fasciitis needs to be initiated promptly and carried out comprehensively.
All infected tissue needs to be surgically removed as a matter of emergency in order to halt the further spread of the infection.
If surgery is delayed, the patient's symptoms are likely to deteriorate and, when treatment does begin, it is then likely to be more invasive than had it started as soon as a diagnosis had been made.
If the infection has continued to spread, a greater area of tissue will need to be removed. Necrotising fasciitis tends to affect the limbs, the abdominal area or the genital area and the impact of debridement (surgical removal of tissue) can be both psychologically devastating as well as physically disabling.
In extreme cases where this virulent infection has affected the limbs, the amputation of a limb may be necessary.
The sooner treatment can be commenced, therefore, the less destructive surgery is likely to be.
Medical negligence
Necrotising fasciitis is a medical emergency. A failure on the part of medical professionals to recognise the symptoms or to recognise the necessary urgency of a response can produce catastrophic long-term outcomes for the patient.
The first step in claiming compensation for a poor medical response to this shocking illness is to speak to a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
If you or a loved one are suffering the horrific impact of a delay in diagnosis and treatment of necrotising fasciitis, contact us today. We have supported numerous compensation claims for negligence with regard to necrotising fasciitis and will be happy to discuss your situation and assess the possibility of making a claim.
Please call us free on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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