When treating necrotising fasciitis, the dead tissue must be removed. Without this course of action, the patient will not survive for very long.
If you or your family member has been affected by slow necrotising fasciitis treatment, there could be grounds for a medical negligence claim. This would entitle you to pursue a claim for compensation.
To find out if you can sue the doctor or hospital responsible for your poor necrotising fasciitis care, please get in touch with our team. We specialise in necrotising fasciitis claims and will advise whether you can take legal action.
How does necrotising fasciitis cause tissue death?
Necrotising fasciitis leads to tissue death because it is an infection of the deep tissues (medically known as subcutaneous tissue).
What happens is that the bacteria infiltrate the tissue, either spreading from an infection elsewhere in the body, or getting into the body via a break in the skin. Once in the tissue, the bacteria multiply. This has a number of consequences:
Firstly, the reproduction process releases a chemical which destroys the surrounding tissue and blood vessels. The blood cannot flow properly through the vessels, meaning the tissue is not receiving enough oxygen and waste products are not being removed.
Because the cells cannot live without oxygen, the tissue cells will begin to die. This is called tissue necrosis. When a large extent of tissue cells die because of poor blood supply, a patient is said to have gangrene.
Extensive tissue death
If treatment is not given, the extent of tissue death with escalate very quickly. This is because the bacteria will continue to reproduce, spreading to an ever greater area of tissue. The geographical blood supply will be adversely affected and will ultimately become necrotic.
The process of tissue death will create visible changes to the skin. At first it will be very painful, red and hot to touch. These symptoms indicate the early stages of the infection. As necrosis begins to occur, the skin will become darker in colour, turning black or purple.
The disintegration of the tissue will also cause an open sore to develop. This will increase in size as the bacteria spread and more tissue is infected. This is how the condition has earned its nickname – ‘the flesh-eating disease’.
Indeed, it does look like something is eating away at the flesh. In fact the bacteria is not eating the tissue, but damaging it from the toxins released into the body.
Fast treatment of necrotising fasciitis
If treatment is not given, the infection will spread across the body. The bacteria will soon reach the bloodstream, resulting in septicaemia.
Therefore the dead tissue cannot be left in place or the patient will suffer from a rapidly accelerating infection. The most important course of action is to remove all the dead tissue. This is called surgical debridement.
Surgeons must debride all the necrotic tissue, leaving just the healthy tissue in place. If the infection has travelled extensively, it will mean that a large amount of tissue has to be cut away. This can go all the way down to the bone.
Sometimes so much tissue has to be removed that it is impossible to keep a limb intact. When this occurs the patient will have to undergo an amputation of the limb.
Once all the dead tissue is cut away, medical practitioners must encourage the healing process with medication, dressings, skin grafts, provision of fluids and good nutrition. Afterwards it may be necessary to ‘fill in the gaps’ with more skin grafts and other reconstructive surgery.
Slow treatment of necrotising fasciitis
Without treatment, the patient will not survive for more than 24 to 48 hours. Even if a patient does survive, a delay in treatment can mean that their injuries are far more extensive that they would have been, had treatment been provided earlier.
For instance, a patient might have avoided significant tissue death, widespread debridement (with possible amputation), and a prolonged stay in hospital. Their recovery would have been speedier and less painful, and they may not have sustained long-term damage (such as large scars, defects and dysfunction).
Furthermore, if necrotising fasciitis is not treated, the bacteria will get into the bloodstream and cause septicaemia. This is a potentially deadly condition that can lead to organ failure. Such life-threatening complications are only avoided with speedy debridement surgery.
Are medical practitioners to blame?
A patient can become critically unwell within days of the onset of necrotising fasciitis. This means that time is of the essence when it comes to treating necrotising fasciitis.
The primary course of treatment is debridement surgery, and this is needed as soon as a patient presents to hospital. Widespread-antibiotics will also be given intravenously, but the most important thing is for the dead tissue to be removed.
If treatment is not given in time, the patient could face life-ending or life-changing complications, such as an amputation. When this happens, it is necessary to consider whether medical practitioners are to blame.
Necrotising fasciitis is a very fast-moving infection and extensive damage may already have been done by the time the patient reaches hospital. However, there are times when delays in treatment occur because medical practitioners do not diagnose necrotising fasciitis, or do not appreciate the urgency with which debridement surgery is needed.
What action can I take?
If you suspect medical practitioners are responsible for delays in treating your (or your loved one’s) necrotising fasciitis, you should consider talking to a solicitor. A solicitor who specialises in medical negligence claims will tell you whether or not the care has been negligent.
If there has been a case of medical negligence, you will be able to pursue a legal claim, should you wish to do so. This will enable you to obtain compensation for the physical, emotional and financial damages you have experienced.
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