Delayed Debridement and Compensation for Necrotising Fasciitis Damage
Negligent medical care can cause devastation to the outcome of necrotising fasciitis and render the patient dependent on care. It may also justify a claim for compensation.
Debridement and necrotising fasciitis
The term debridement refers to the surgical removal of the body's tissue. It is essential to the treatment of necrotising fasciitis. This soft-tissue infection causes the decay of all the tissue it infects. It can also spread rapidly through the body's connective tissue, increasing the area which suffers damage. Ultimately it will cause the death of the patient unless swift medical action is taken.
The treatment is to remove all the tissue which has become infected. This can, unfortunately, be a significant part of the patient's body. The longer such treatment is delayed, the more time the infection will have to spread and the more tissue will need to be removed. Patients often require more than one debridement procedure before all the infection has been removed and delays in treatment may well add to this.
Not surprisingly, the nature of the debridement depends upon the area affected by the infection. Where the infection is mainly present in the limbs, a full or partial amputation may be necessary.
When the infection is in the abdomen or perineum, large areas of tissue may need to be removed, compromising the patient's bodily functions.
Negligence and claiming compensation
Negligence in relation to necrotising fasciitis often relates to a failure to recognise the symptoms or to consider this appalling soft-tissue infection as a possible diagnosis, thus resulting in a delay in the commencement of debridement.
If medical professionals do not monitor a patient following surgery or do not seek specialist opinion where they have any concern about a patient's symptoms, they may be regarded as having been negligent.
If it is found that negligent medical care has caused a patient to suffer a worse outcome than would have been the case with an acceptable level of care, it may be possible to make a claim for the consequences.
In the case of necrotising fasciitis, the consequences can be devastating, including a loss of income and the need for care.
Legal advice
Compensation claims for medical negligence are extremely complex. If you think that either you or a loved one may have a claim, contact Glynns Solicitors, specialists in medical negligence law, to discuss your experience with a solicitor free of charge.
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