Delayed Sepsis Diagnosis Resulting In Amputation

Sepsis is a frightening diagnosis, requiring prompt emergency medical treatment. As frightening as a diagnosis of sepsis may be, a doctor’s failure to make a prompt, accurate diagnosis of sepsis is even more terrifying. A delayed diagnosis of sepsis may result in a worsened outcome, including amputations, organ failure, or death.

When a doctor’s negligence or error causes a delayed sepsis diagnosis resulting in an amputated limb, it’s a catastrophic injury caused by medical malpractice. A skilled Phoenix medical malpractice lawyer can help victims and their families pursue justice and recover compensation for the life-altering harm caused by negligent medical care.

What Is Sepsis?

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describes sepsis as “the body’s extreme response to an infection,” and a “life-threatening emergency.” Although viral, bacterial, and fungal infections are common, most do not cause sepsis. About 1.7 million Americans develop sepsis each year, causing approximately 350,000 deaths.

Sepsis is a dangerous condition that occurs when an infection triggers a chain reaction of the body’s natural immune defenses. One of the body’s most powerful defenses against disease and injury is inflammation. Unfortunately, sometimes, this critical defense system overreacts, turning against the body itself and causing organ damage. The cascade of bodily reactions known as deadly sepsis often occurs when an infection migrates from its initial site and enters the bloodstream. For this reason, sepsis was once known as “blood poisoning.”

When the body’s attempt to control the infection escalates, it triggers a cytokine storm, causing system-wide inflammation. Massive inflammation interferes with blood flow, causing the blood pressure to drop. This leads to a lack of oxygen in cells throughout the body, ending in organ failure in vital organs such as the lungs, heart, and kidneys. Sepsis results in death if not promptly and aggressively treated. Unfortunately, one of the last medical defenses against systemic sepsis is amputation. When a doctor fails to identify and address sepsis in its early stages, the result may be the amputation of a limb.

Why Does Delayed Sepsis Diagnosis Sometimes Cause Amputations?

One of the effects of prolonged sepsis is increased blood clotting. The thickened blood cannot flow as easily through the limbs and back to the respiratory system for oxygen, causing cell death in the extremities. In addition, small clots may form in blood vessels, hastening cell death.

When a doctor fails to diagnose sepsis in its earliest stages and treat it effectively with aggressive antibiotics, the result can be blood clotting, cell death, and gangrene in the affected extremity. In some cases, a doctor may remove enough of the dead tissue to allow healing without amputation, but advanced cases may require the amputation of the affected limb.

How Do Medical Providers Miss the Early Signs of Sepsis?

Sepsis develops as a result of infection, but most infections do not escalate into sepsis. For this reason, medical providers may miss the early signs of sepsis, which include fever, chills, confusion, disorientation, fast breathing, and rapid heart rate. The skin may appear flushed or mottled. As sepsis advances, blood pressure begins dropping.

Unfortunately, the early signs of sepsis, such as fever and chills, resemble other, less life-threatening conditions. Doctors sometimes miss the early signs of sepsis due to the following:

• Misdiagnosing sepsis as a common virus or early infection
• Failure to order the appropriate tests
• Failure to obtain a complete medical history
• A patient’s pre-existing medical condition may mask sepsis symptoms
• Sepsis may have vague symptoms in the elderly
• A nurse or other medical caregiver may fail to inform a doctor of a change in a patient’s medical status

Understaffing and overwhelmed emergency room or hospital staff may neglect to properly monitor a patient and detect the early signs of sepsis. When sepsis enters the later stages without proper diagnosis and treatment, cell death may begin in one or more limbs, resulting in a late diagnosis of sepsis and a medically necessary amputation to prevent death. This is medical malpractice.

Who May Be Held Liable for a Delayed Sepsis Diagnosis Resulting In an Amputation?

It typically takes an investigation into a medical malpractice claim to determine the correct liable party and make a claim against their malpractice insurance. Depending on the circumstances of the delayed sepsis diagnosis, the following medical professionals may be held liable:

• A doctor
• A nurse or nursing home caregiver
• The hospital or medical facility
• A nursing home

A successful medical malpractice claim recovers damages like medical expenses, future medical expenses, pain and suffering, disability, chronic pain, and loss of enjoyment of life. Making a compelling claim requires compelling proof of the at-fault provider’s liability.

Proving Liability In a Medical Malpractice Case for Delayed Sepsis Diagnosis

Most types of personal injury claims require an injury victim to prove that the party responsible for the injury violated the duty of reasonable care that all parties owe to those around them. A medical malpractice claim is different because medical providers owe their patients a higher standard of care. Proving liability in a medical malpractice claim requires evidence demonstrating the following:

• A doctor/patient or medical provider/ patient relationship was in place at the time the malpractice occurred
• The doctor owed a duty of care to the patient, requiring them to treat the patient at the standard of care accepted by the medical community
• The doctor violated their duty of care through negligence
• The violation of duty directly caused the injury (amputation)
• The injury victim suffered damages from the injury

Most medical malpractice claims end with a settlement from the insurance company. Still, when cases go to court, the jury is often instructed to ask themselves, “Would another reasonable medical provider have treated the patient in the same manner?” If the answer is no, then the jury must find the negligent provider liable for the injury victim’s damages.

How Can an Arizona Medical Malpractice Lawyer Help My Case?  

Amputations are life-altering injuries, resulting in permanent disability and adverse impacts on all aspects of daily life. If you or a loved one suffered an amputation due to a doctor’s delay in diagnosing sepsis, you deserve compensation for your economic losses, physical pain, and emotional anguish. Call Knapp & Roberts (480) 991-7677 or complete our online form for a free evaluation of your case so your attorney can take prompt action to protect your rights.