Necrotising fasciitis is a life-threatening infection that can cause the death of a patient within days. However, there is hope of new understanding and practice in the work of an EU-funded multi-professional project.
The devastation of a necrotising fasciitis infection
Necrotising soft-tissue infections attack the deep soft tissue within the body and can cause wide-spread destruction if not identified and treated with urgency.
Necrotising fasciitis, a virulent NSTI, can affect people of all ages, races and gender. Once the infection has established itself in the deep tissue of the body, it can spread at an alarming rate, destroying all the tissue it affects, leaving the victim disabled and psychologically damaged. As the body succumbs to the attack, major organs will start to fail and the patient has a high risk of mortality.
The destruction of necrotising fasciitis treatment
The most, and possibly only, effective treatment for necrotising fasciitis, is the surgical removal of all damaged and infected tissue.
This, in itself, can cause major trauma to the patient who is already likely to be struggling to maintain fundamental body systems and survive. All patients will suffer some degree of physical damage due to their treatment and are likely to need reconstructive surgery at some future date. For some patients, however, amputation of a limb is necessary in order to stop the spread of the infection.
Understanding necrotising fasciitis
Whilst there has been significant development in the understanding of causes and contextual patient factors regarding the development of necrotising fasciitis, it is felt that considerable work remains to be done in order to develop further understanding and translate that into improved diagnostic and treatment strategies for the benefit of the patient.
INFECT, an EU-funded project, is drawing upon the expertise of specialists across Europe, Israel and the USA to achieve new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies through ‘a comprehensive and integrated knowledge of diagnostic features, causative microbial agent, treatment strategies and pathogenic mechanisms (host and bacterial disease traits and their underlying interaction network).
INFECT identifies its objective as ‘to set the basis for the translation of this understanding into rapid diagnostics and improved, tailored clinical practice.’
Problems in diagnosis
Prompt diagnosis of necrotising fasciitis, facilitating the administration of treatment techniques, is fundamental to the patient’s chances of survival.
However, necrotising fasciitis is a relatively rare condition and, in its early stages, can be mistaken for other conditions such as cellulitis or deep vein thrombosis. Given the virulence of the infection it is vital that any patient suspected of suffering with a soft-tissue infection is referred for further investigation and, if appropriate, immediate treatment.
Medical Negligence
A failure to recognise the early signs of a possible soft-tissue infection, leading to a poor patient outcome, might be considered to have been medically negligent.
If you or a loved one have suffered with the appalling long-term effects of necrotising fasciitis due to a delay in diagnosis and treatment, you may be able to make a claim for compensation.
We are specialists in medical negligence law, with considerable experience of compensation claims for necrotising fasciitis failures. Contact us to discuss your experience with a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
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