Necrotising fasciitis can develop anywhere in the body, although it commonly begins in the perineal/perianal region.
Perineal ulcer
For necrotising fasciitis to happen, the bacteria must be presented with an opportunity to enter the body. This can include any sort of break in the skin, such as an ulcer.
An ulcer is when a layer of skin or mucous membrane is broken to create an open sore. Ulcers can occur inside the body, or they can arise on the surface of the skin, even in places that are not normally exposed such as the perineum (the skin between the genitals and the anus).
Perineal ulcers can happen for a number of reasons, including diabetes, Crohn’s disease and sexually transmitted infection.
Infected perineal ulcer
All ulcers are prone to infection. Normally the skin prevents bacteria getting into the body. But if the skin is not intact, this defence will no longer be effective and bacteria will get into the body through the ulcer.
If the ulcer becomes infected with bacteria that cause necrotising fasciitis, the ‘flesh-eating’ infection will occur. The individual will soon experience intense pain in the perineum. The surrounding area will also become red and swollen.
If left untreated, the patient will become confused and delirious due to a drop in blood pressure. The tissue surrounding the perineum will decay, causing an increasingly large open wound. This may have a foul odour.
Failure to diagnose and treat an infected perineal ulcer
An infected perineal ulcer will be very painful and will certainly not go unnoticed by the affected individual. Unfortunately, however, the problem can be wrongly diagnosed by medical practitioners.
We have previously dealt with a case in which a perineal ulcer infected with necrotising fasciitis was misdiagnosed. The patient was at first sent home. The next time she attended hospital she was told she had constipation. The delay in treatment meant that she became critically unwell and only just survived, albeit with ongoing physical and psychological trauma.
Making a compensation claim
If doctors do not diagnose necrotising fasciitis, despite a patient displaying clinical signs of an infection, there may be grounds for a medical negligence claim. In the aforementioned case, we managed to secure £125,000 for our client who suffered severe injuries because of the delay in diagnosis.
To find out if you or your loved one could be entitled to claim compensation, please contact us for expert legal advice.
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