After surgery, a patient may develop a surgical site infection. The type of infection can vary, with one of the most serious being a rare flesh-eating disease called necrotising fasciitis.
Preventing surgical site infections
All surgical procedures carry the risk of surgical site infection, particularly abdominal surgery. There are three significant risk factors that increase the chance of a surgical site infection occurring: obesity, type 2 diabetes and smoking.
Most surgical site infections arise from the patient’s own skin flora. This means the infection may enter the wound site either during the operation or afterwards. The risk of infection arising from a skin source at the time of surgery can be reduced with the correct preparatory procedures, including applying antiseptic solutions to the skin and sterile surgical technique.
It is also possible for surgical site infections to arise from organisms that live within the body. The body is full of different types of bacteria, both good and bad. Organisms that may lead to an infection often live in the intestine, vagina, and throat and mouth. The human body cannot be sterilised of bacteria, and it certainly would not be healthy to do so.
However, a dose of prophylactic antibiotics may be administered to patients particularly at-risk of surgical site infection. This will be administered intravenously before the operation and can help to prevent infections as it will work to reduce the number of bacteria present.
Diagnosing surgical site infections
Even with prophylactic antibiotics, it is possible that a surgical site infection develops. If so, it is essential that medical practitioners diagnose the infection as quickly as possible, or the patient’s surgical wound will break down. It is also possible that other life-threatening complications will occur, particularly if the infection is serious – for example, necrotising fasciitis.
Necrotising fasciitis is a rare bacterial infection that is associated with abdominal surgery in diabetics. It happens when certain bacteria enter the body’s deep tissues and reproduce, releasing a poisonous toxin that kills the flesh. It is characterised by a severe pain that is disproportionate to the surgical wound, fever and discoloured skin. If left untreated, the skin will turn purple to black in colour, and an open sore will develop as the tissue dies.
A patient who develops these symptoms after surgery should immediately be investigated for a surgical site infection. This should be a very obvious diagnosis and medical practitioners should take steps to confirm the type of infection present.
Failure to diagnose necrotising fasciitis
If medical practitioners fail to diagnose necrotising fasciitis that occurs after surgery, the standard of care will be deemed unacceptable. A patient will therefore be entitled to pursue compensation for the damages incurred.
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