Ruptured Appendix Claims
Appendicitis is a medical emergency, meaning it must be diagnosed and treated quickly if serious complications are to be prevented. If medical professionals do not act during this small window of opportunity, the appendix will rupture, resulting in a severe and potentially fatal infection.
If this is something that has affected you or your loved one, you need to talk to a solicitor about the care provided by medical practitioners as you could be entitled to compensation.
What is appendicitis?
The appendix is a small pouch that is connected to the large intestine. It sits in the lower right hand side of the abdomen and no longer has any use. Because of its proximity to the intestine, it is possible that faeces and other waste products block the entrance to the appendix, trapping the bacteria inside.
When the bacteria are trapped inside they will rapidly multiply, causing the appendix to become infected and inflamed. This will lead to a chronic pain in the lower right hand side of the abdomen, fever and vomiting. This condition is known as appendicitis.
Treating appendicitis
If someone presents to a medical practitioner with these symptoms, urgent tests must be carried out to verify whether or not appendicitis is present. This is because treatment must be given urgently. Antibiotics can help to fight the bacteria, but ultimately the appendix must be surgically removed as this is the only cure for appendicitis.
As long as surgery is carried out promptly, a patient will be free of symptoms and on the road to recovery very quickly. But if there is a delay, the bacteria will continue to reproduce inside the appendix, causing it to become more and more inflamed. Eventually the appendix will become so swollen that it cannot stretch any more. When it reaches this point it will actually burst; this is known as a ruptured appendix.
A ruptured appendix
A ruptured appendix is very dangerous as the pus that was inside the appendix will be released into the abdominal cavity. There it will infect the lining of the abdomen, causing a condition called peritonitis. This will make a patient extremely unwell, and if he/she is already in a fragile state (for example, due to old age) it can prove to be fatal.
Even if a ruptured appendix is diagnosed before fatal complications occur, a patient will need to undergo an open operation, meaning he/she will have a large scar across their abdomen. Their recovery time will also be prolonged, while many are left with psychological injuries due to the trauma of suffering a ruptured appendix.
Claiming for a ruptured appendix
If you or your loved one has experienced a ruptured appendix because medical professionals did not diagnose and treat the condition in a timely fashion, you may be entitled to claim compensation for the damage this has caused. Contact us at Glynns to find out more.
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