Necrotising fasciitis is a fast-spreading and potentially fatal illness. A formerly healthy individual can deteriorate within days to the point where their very survival is at stake. If you have suffered from this appalling condition, you may be wondering how this could have happened to you?
What is necrotising fasciitis?
Necrotising fasciitis is an infection that attacks the soft, deep tissue of the body. It can be caused by a variety of pathogens which may be otherwise relatively harmless but which can cause widespread tissue destruction once they have entered the subcutaneous areas of the body.
The infection can spread through the body at a terrifying rate, quickly threatening the body’s major organs.
Who gets necrotising fasciitis?
Anyone can develop necrotising fasciitis although, thankfully, it is fairly rare. It is no respecter of age or youth although the elderly and those with an already weakened immune system are probably more susceptible. If you are diabetic or overweight, or have a chronic liver, kidney or heart condition, you may also be more likely to develop this shocking illness.
Necrotising fasciitis tends to develop in the limbs or the abdomen or the genital region.
Why did I get necrotising fasciitis?
If you have developed necrotising fasciitis, it is most likely to be because you have experienced a cut or wound to the skin. Even a minor cut or graze can give the bacteria responsible for necrotising fasciitis a route of entry into your body.
It may be that you developed necrotising fasciitis whilst you were in hospital. Undergoing a surgical procedure can also provide bacteria with an opportunity to reach the body’s deep tissue. This would be particularly likely in procedures affecting the abdomen or limbs where necrotising fasciitis tends to develop.
Pressure sores due to an extended period of immobility can also make a patient vulnerable to developing necrotising fasciitis.
Necrotising fasciitis can also develop as a result of an internal problem such as appendicitis, diverticulitis or a perforated bowel.
However, sometimes there is no obvious cause and you may never know why you developed this dreadful infection.
Fournier’s Gangrene
Fournier’s gangrene is a form of necrotising fasciitis which develops in men in the perineum, affecting the genitals with sometimes catastrophic outcomes. It can be a result of a number of surgical and hospital procedures or the development of an infection in the saddle region.
Again, those individuals with an already-compromised immune system are especially susceptible to the condition.
Diagnosing necrotising fasciitis
If you are developing necrotising fasciitis, it is vital that the condition is diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible. This is the only way to ensure that the patient achieves the best outcome with minimal physical impact.
When a patient attends their GP or A & E service with signs of infection alongside intense pain around the area of a cut or wound, the possibility of necrotising fasciitis setting in should be taken into consideration. Immediate action should be taken as any delay could prove fatal.
Patients in hospital undergoing surgery should be closely monitored for signs of infection and action taken where there is any cause for concern.
Medical Negligence
Where the early signs of necrotising fasciitis have been misdiagnosed or ignored, the patient may be considered to have received a substandard level of care.
Where necrotising fasciitis develops with its shocking, long-term physical and psychological effects, the patient may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
Contact us to discuss your situation with a specialist medical negligence solicitor if you or a loved one have suffered from this dreadful condition when it could and should have been dealt with at an earlier stage.
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