Necrotising fasciitis is an infection that must be diagnosed and treated shortly after the onset of symptoms. Unfortunately this standard of care is not always achieved, often because doctors fail to diagnose the condition quickly enough.
If a delay in the diagnosis and/or treatment of necrotising fasciitis has caused you or your loved one harm, you need to find out whether you are able to make a claim. A solicitor who works in medical negligence law will be able to tell you more.
This article explains what necrotising fasciitis is and how you get it, before going on to explore necrotising fasciitis compensation claims.
Necrotising fasciitis
Necrotising fasciitis (sometimes spelt necrotizing fasciitis) is a bacterial infection that affects the soft tissues. It sees bacteria get into the soft tissue and reproduce, a process which causes a toxin to be released. This substance damages the surrounding tissue and blood vessels, eventually leading to the death of the tissue. It gives the appearance of the tissue being eat, which is why necrotising fasciitis is dubbed ‘the flesh-eating disease’.
How you get necrotising fasciitis.
For necrotising fasciitis to happen, it is necessary for the bacteria to get into the body’s tissues. Bacteria can get into the body through a break in the skin. This can be a tiny cut or scratch, which is sometimes so small that the patient did not know the injury was there. Or it may be a more obvious wound, such as a surgical incision.
But where might you pick up the necrotising fasciitis bacteria? The answer is that you can come into contact with the bacteria anywhere, including both in and out of hospital. But you will only get necrotising fasciitis if the bacteria are provided with an opportunity to get inside the body.
1. Necrotising fasciitis hospital superbug
Necrotising fasciitis has been described as a hospital superbug. It is certainly less well known that other superbugs such as MRSA and C. Difficile. Nevertheless, the condition can be caught by patients while staying in hospital.
Hospital patients are normally more vulnerable to these types of infections because they have a weakened immune system and are surrounded by other people/surfaces, through which the bacteria can spread. Additionally, hospital patients often have breaks in the skin, giving the bacteria a chance to get inside the body. This might include a cannula, a surgical incision, a pressure sore or a cut.
2. Outside of hospital
Necrotising fasciitis can also be caught outside of hospital. Bacteria are all around us, and if you come into contact with the bacteria which cause necrotising fasciitis and you have a break in the skin, you could develop the illness.
Necrotising fasciitis medical negligence
That is a short summary of what necrotising fasciitis and how you get it. For further information, please explore the other articles on the website.
The rest of this article will focus upon necrotising fasciitis and medical negligence compensation claims.
Necrotising fasciitis frequently results in a medical negligence claim. This means that the medical practitioners caring for the patient did not provide a reasonable standard of care, causing him/her to suffer harm. The patient (or their family) are therefore legally entitled to pursue a claim for compensation.
Failure to diagnose claims
One of the most common reasons that a necrotising fasciitis claim will arise is the failure to diagnose.
Failure to diagnose claims happen because medical practitioners did not recognise the condition within an acceptable amount of time. Necrotising fasciitis is a very fast-moving infection, so a diagnosis should be made shortly after the onset of symptoms.
Although necrotising fasciitis is rare, it should not be beyond the scope of a competent clinician to appreciate the signs of a soft tissue infection. These include skin that is red and hot to touch, pain at the site of infection and a fever.
If a GP or hospital doctors do not detect necrotising fasciitis, and this delay causes damage that could otherwise have been avoided, there could be grounds for a claim.
Other reasons why a necrotising fasciitis claim can be made
There are also other reasons why it might be possible to sue a hospital for necrotising fasciitis. For instance:
- Treatment was delayed, despite necrotising fasciitis having been diagnosed
- Wrong/incomplete treatment was given
- Necrotising fasciitis was caught in hospital due to poor hygiene, poor infection control, pressure sores or inadequate wound care
- Necrotising fasciitis led to sepsis or septicaemia, which was not treated
How do I know if I can sue hospital for necrotising fasciitis?
These are just some examples of the ways in which a necrotising fasciitis claim against a hospital might occur. Whatever the circumstances of your (or your loved one’s) case, it is best to seek legal advice if you think there has been a substandard level of care.
A solicitor who specialises in medical negligence will be able to provide all the advice you need. You will need to talk to them first about the details of the case. After the information has been considered, the solicitor will tell you whether or not you can sue the hospital (or other healthcare professional) for the injuries incurred.
At this stage you do not have to proceed with a claim if you do not want to, or you do not feel up to it. But if you do want to continue, your solicitor will begin the claims process on your behalf. Your solicitor will organise everything from that point onwards, although you will be needed to assist on occasion – for instance, by providing a witness statement.
Professional legal advice
To find out if you can sue a hospital for necrotising fasciitis medical negligence, please get in touch with our expert legal team at Glynns Solicitors. We are a specialist clinical negligence law firm with proven experience in necrotising fasciitis claims. We have helped a number of people successfully obtain the compensation they rightfully deserve, including one woman who was discharged by A&E twice despite having the symptoms of necrotising fasciitis. She was awarded £125,000.
To talk to a solicitor about suing a hospital, please get in touch with us today.
Free, No Obligation Enquiry
Call us now on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Free Online Enquiry.
