Peritonitis Negligence Compensation
Peritonitis is a potentially life-threatening infection of the abdomen. If it is either caused by medical negligence or its treatment is delayed by medical practitioners, it might be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
The Danger of Peritonitis
The peritoneum is the lining of the abdomen and it is susceptible to infection if bacteria reaches the abdominal cavity. Peritonitis can trigger sepsis, a dysfunctional immune system response which can reduce the delivery of oxygen to the organs and cause multiple organ failure and death.
Negligent causes of peritonitis
- The obvious negligent medical cause of peritonitis is when the bowel is accidentally perforated or ruptured during a surgical procedure. This can occur in a wide variety of surgical procedures such as a colonoscopy investigation or surgery for gallbladder removal. If it occurs, it needs to be identified and resolved at the time of the surgery to avoid a serious long-term problem for the patient.
- Peritonitis can also develop if a severe abdominal disorder is not diagnosed by medical professionals and eventually causes an internal rupture, leading to a leakage of bacterial matter from the bowel into the abdominal cavity. This can occur with a delay in diagnosing appendicitis or crohn's disease, for example.
Negligent management of peritonitis
If a patient is exhibiting symptoms which might indicate an abdominal infection but does not receive a prompt diagnosis, their long-term outcome may be severe. When a patient has undergone abdominal surgery, the possibility of an infection should be in the forefront of the minds of their medical professionals. Any signs indicative of an infection require immediate attention.
In particular, patients who might be considered to be at particular risk of infection, such as elderly patients or those with diabetes, need very close monitoring after surgery for signs of peritonitis.
Making a compensation claim
If you or a loved one are suffering the long-term effects of a failure to prevent or diagnosis peritonitis, it might be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
In the first instance, you should speak to a specialist medical negligence solicitor to discuss your situation and gain an opinion as to the viability of making a claim.
Glynns Solicitors is a medical negligence legal practice with broad experience of making highly-successful compensation claims. Contact us today to talk to one of our team of experienced specialist lawyers.
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