Preventing Necrotising Fasciitis After An Operation

Necrotising Fasciitis is most commonly seen in hospital patients who have recently undergone an operation. Medical professionals should therefore be wary of this risk, taking steps to prevent the occurrence of Necrotising Fasciitis, a condition often referred to as the 'flesh-eating disease'.

What should medical professionals do?

Necrotising Fasciitis is a bacterial infection that attacks the tissue and underlying fascia. For the disease to take hold, the bacteria must find a way to enter the body. This might be something as small as a finger cut. Most commonly, however, it will be through a larger wound such as a surgical incision.

Therefore medical professionals must do all they can to prevent a patient suffering a post-surgical infection. This can be very easily achieved; it simply requires the administration of prophylactic (meaning 'preventative') antibiotics.

Nevertheless, this might not be appropriate in every patient. Instead, doctors should assess each and every person undergoing surgery to determine whether it would be in their best interests to have antibiotics. Those who face an increased risk of developing an infection should then be provided with the necessary medication. This should include anyone who has diabetes and is morbidly obese, as these are major risk factors in the development of Necrotising Fasciitis.

Have doctors failed to prevent your necrotising fasciitis?

If your medical practitioners fail to provide you with preventative antibiotics and you do develop Necrotising Fasciitis, there could be grounds for a medical negligence claim. This is because in neglecting to recognise and prevent the risk of post-surgical infection, your doctors will have provided a substandard level of medical care. If this causes you to suffer an injury, you will be entitled to compensation for the damages you have wrongfully sustained. Necrotising Fasciitis is often associated with extensive tissue damage and a defective aesthetic appearance, and the amount of compensation you receive will reflect the amount of harm you have endured.

Contact a solicitor today

To find out more about making a claim for Necrotising Fasciitis, you need to speak to a medical negligence solicitor without delay. They will listen to the details of your case before suggesting whether you should have been given preventative antibiotics to ensure you avoided necrotising fasciitis. If so, you will be able to make a claim against the hospital responsible for the terrible injuries you have been left with. However, it is worth noting that claims must be made within three years of the negligent treatment - therefore it is important to obtain advice from a legal professional as soon as possible.

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