Misdiagnosed Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease can cause painful and distressing symptoms to the sufferer. If the underlying cause is not identified promptly, it can exacerbate, causing the bowel to perforate and the patient's life to be in danger.
What is Crohn's Disease?
Crohn's disease is a long-term condition of the gut where the lining of the digestive system becomes inflamed. The patient can develop a narrowing of the gastrointestinal tract due to the recurrent inflammation caused by the condition. This, in turn, can produce difficulties in the movement of matter through the gut.
Undiagnosed, the patient risks the perforation of the lining of the intestine. Where surgery is considered to be necessary to resolve this issue, a delay can result in a life-threatening situation for the patient who can develop peritonitis due to bacteria seeping from the gut into the abdomen.
Diagnosis & Symptoms
The symptoms of crohn's disease, such as severe abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss, can mean that it is misdiagnosed as an alternative digestive disorder. However, a timely diagnosis and treatment plan is imperative.
Repeated and severe symptoms merit thorough investigation to assess the underlying causes.
The condition can sometimes be managed by medication but, in some cases, surgery is necessary and it is important that this is not delayed.
Patients suffering with this condition require on-going monitoring as the condition can continue to cause problems.
Impact of a failure to diagnose
A failure to diagnose the condition or its severity may result in a delay in treatment or inappropriate treatment.
The effects of a delay in treatment where surgery is necessary can be wide-ranging and both physical and psychological in nature:
- The patient may require a colostomy to facilitate the functioning of the bowel
- The patient may develop sepsis as a result of abdominal infection
- The patient can suffer from organ failure and require an extended stay in hospital
- The patient can suffer psychological damage due to the traumatic nature of their symptoms and physical problems
Medical negligence
Where such appalling effects are considered to be the result of a failure of medical care, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
Contact us today to discuss your situation with a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
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