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Sepsis Compensation Claims

Sepsis is a potentially serious condition caused by the way the body responds to infection and germs. If caught early it can easily be treated with antibiotics but if left untreated it can lead to serious injury and even death.

A case we managed of a young child with missed diagnosis of Sepsis

We are seeing more and more of these cases in our hospitals and consequently in the media. If you have developed complications from Sepsis arising from poor medical care or even a delayed diagnosis, you may qualify to make a claim to help compensate you for the pain and suffering caused.

Who is at risk of Sepsis?

Symptoms typically include high temperatures, chills and shivering, fast breathing and a fast heartbeat and some people are more vulnerable to developing sepsis, including:

Babies, children and the very old
Patients who have had surgery
People with diabetes
If you’re pregnant or have recently given birth
Undergoing chemotherapy treatments

Infection

Sepsis can be triggered by an infection in any part of the body. Most often the culprit is an infection that we all recognise such as cystitis, appendicitis, cellulitis pneumonia and meningitis, but in fact any infection can lead to Sepsis.

Usually your immune system keeps an infection limited to one place. Your body produces white blood cells, which travel to the site of the infection to destroy the germs causing the infection. A series of biological processes occur such as tissue swelling which helps fight the infection and prevents it from spreading.

If your immune system is weak or an infection is particular severe it can quickly spread through the blood into other parts of the body. This causes the immune system to go into overdrive and inflammation affects the entire body.

This can cause more problems than the initial infection as widespread inflammation damages tissue and interferes with blood flow. The interruption in blood flow leads to a dangerous drop in blood pressure which stops oxygen reaching your organs and tissues.

Treating Sepsis

If caught early Sepsis can be treated easily with a simple course of antibiotics, however, if the signs of Sepsis are not recognised and it is left untreated it can become serious leading to shock, multi-organ failure and even death. The UK Sepsis Trust says that patients have a dramatically increased rate of survival (around 80%) if Sepsis is correctly diagnosed and treated within an hour of the first signs and symptoms being detected.

Sepsis is serious

Sepsis has now overtaken lung cancer in the amount of lives it takes. It now kills an estimated 37,000 people in the UK and of those deaths the NHS estimates that 13,000 would have been avoided had the signs been spotted early and different treatment administered.

The NHS has acted upon the Sepsis figures and is currently implementing best practice standards to ensure staff are prepared. It is clear however that medical professionals are missing the signs and a recent study revealed that patients are twice as likely to die from Sepsis in some hospitals as they are in others.

We are specialists in Sepsis claims

If you or a member of your family have suffered Sepsis and there was a failure to provide adequate treatment then you may have a claim.

We offer a free initial interview and claims can be dealt with on ‘a no win no fee basis’. Call 0161 785 3500 to discuss your potential Sepsis claim.

Matthew Cox