The early signs of necrotising fasciitis should help medical practitioners reach a timely diagnosis. If there is a failure to do so, there may be grounds for a medical negligence compensation claim.
What is necrotising fasciitis?
Necrotising fasciitis is an aggressive bacterial infection that affects the body’s deep tissues. It happens when a type of bacteria get into the body via a break in the skin. They multiply, releasing a harmful substance into the body that damages the surrounding tissue, disrupting the blood supply.
Blood provides oxygen to the tissue and carries away waste products. So when the blood supply is restricted, the area of tissue will become deficient in oxygen and waste products will build up. This will cause the tissue to break down even further, eventually resulting in necrosis. This means that the tissue has died, after which it cannot be saved.
Because the bacteria multiply very quickly, the infection will rapidly spread, creating more and more necrotic tissue.
What are the signs of necrotising fasciitis?
When the bacteria first get into the body and reproduce, the tissue will slowly start to break down. This will cause an intense pain at the site of infection that will be completely disproportionate to the injury that has been sustained – if a break in the skin can even be seen.
As the tissue continues to break down, there will be visible changes to the skin. It will turn red in colour and be hot to touch. The visual appearance will deteriorate the longer the infection remains present. The skin will turn from red to dark red, purple and finally black. Blisters will appear on the skin and eventually a gaping wound will develop.
The infection will also cause the patient to feel very unwell and there will be symptoms such as a fever, low blood pressure and fast heart rate.
What are the early signs of necrotising fasciitis?
However, the skin will turn black with a gaping wound until the infection has become advanced. The early signs are:
- Fever
- Intense pain at the site of infection
- Skin that is red and hot to touch
These symptoms should prompt medical practitioners to suspect an infection of the tissue. Tests must then be carried out to confirm the underlying cause, and this should lead to an accurate diagnosis being made.
Failure to diagnose
If medical practitioners fail to recognise the early signs of necrotising fasciitis, resulting in a delay in diagnosis and treatment, there may be grounds for a compensation claim. Contact us today to find out more.
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