MRSA - Failure to Treat results in Serious Injury or Death
Necrotizing fasciitis, commonly referred to as "flesh eating bacteria," is a potentially life threatening infection that is caused by a bacterial infection of soft tissue. Although it can be caused by different kinds of bacteria, the most common cause is Group A Streptococcus. Necrotizing fasciitis will destroy soft tissue, can result in toxic shock syndrome, amputations, and lead to death if not treated properly. When doctors fail to recognize symptoms associated with flesh eating bacteria, valuable time is lost that increases the risk for amputation, serious medical complications, even death. At the medical malpractice law office of Cogan & McNabola, P.C., our attorneys review medical records, emergency room admission documents, and interview attending staff in order to expose negligence on the part of doctors who fail to properly diagnose and treat flesh eating bacteria and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
If you or someone in your family has suffered serious injuries or death due to an improperly diagnosed and treated flesh eating bacteria infection, contact Cook County medical malpractice lawyers at Cogan & McNabola today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.
Symptoms Associated with Necrotizing Fasciitis
Misdiagnosed flesh eating bacteria usually involves a collection of factors and a family of symptoms that should alert doctors and nurses to the possibility of the presence of necrotizing fasciitis. Typically, the following factors and symptoms are involved:
- An initial wound, cut, or surgical procedure
- An unusual amount of pain, redness, swelling, or streaking around the wound
- Application of antibiotics doesn't seem to alleviate swelling, tenderness, streaking or pain
- Patient may begin to develop flu-like symptoms - nausea, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and weakness
- If the infection is not properly treated, the wounded area may develop a purplish hue and develop blisters containing a blackish fluid.
Treating Necrotizing Fasciitis
If flesh eating bacteria is caught earlier enough, a wide range of powerful antibiotics should be administered immediately. In order to affectively effectively combat an infection, antibiotics should be administered intravenously. At the same time, drugs that increase blood pressure and anti-globulins should be used to speed the delivery of antibiotic agents throughout the body.
In cases where necrotizing fasciitis is anaerobic, thriving on a lack of oxygen, an iron lung or hyperbaric oxygen chamber may be used to expose the bacteria to oxygen. If an infection is further along, it may be necessary to operate to remove dead tissue. In cases where an infection is further along, amputation may be necessary.
Medical Malpractice and Necrotizing Fasciitis
When doctors fail to diagnose flesh eating bacteria in a timely fashion, in many cases there is still a good chance of recovery if the treatments discussed above are undertaken immediately. Here, failure to perform a proper examination of a patient, gather a patient's history, consider risk factors for necrotizing fasciitis, recognize symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis, or intervene with antibiotics or surgery may constitute medical malpractice. At Cogan & McNabola, P.C., we identify mistakes and departures from standard treatment protocols on the part of doctors, nurses, and admitting staff in necrotizing fasciitis cases.
Don't let a hospital or doctor tell you there was nothing they could do - contact Chicago, Illinois medical malpractice attorneys at Cogan & McNabola and let us ask the questions. We can review your case and hold negligent doctors and hospitals financially accountable for your injuries and pain and suffering.
