C Diff (Clostridium
Difficile) Compensation Claims
There has been an increase in hospital
super bugs recently, with lots of press coverage on the topic.
Some hospitals have been found not to meet the necessary hygiene
standards, and so they are found to be negligent in some cases
where people have contracted a super bug. If you or someone you
know has contracted one of these hospital bugs, you, or they,
may be able to claim compensation for medical negligence. One of
the most serious of these bugs is C Diff. People recovering
from surgery and the elderly are most vulnerable to this bug.
What is C Diff?
Clostridium Difficile (otherwise known
as C Diff) is a bacterium of the family Clostridium. It is an
anaerobic bacterium (i.e. it does not grow in the presence of
oxygen) and produces spores that can survive for a long time in
the environment.
The C Diff Infection usually inhabits
the large intestine. It can be found in low numbers in a small
proportion (less than 5%) of the healthy adult population. It is
normally kept in check by the 'good' bacterial population of the
intestine. It is common in the intestine of babies and infants,
but does not cause disease because its toxins (poisons) do not
damage their immature intestinal cells.
C. Diff can cause diarrhoea, ranging
from a mild case to a very severe illness with ulceration and
bleeding from the colon (colitis) and, at worst can cause
perforation of the intestine leading to peritonitis.
Patients who have been treated with
broad spectrum antibiotics (those that affect a wide range of
bacteria, including intestinal bacteria) are at greatest risk of
contracting the C. difficile disease. Most of those affected are
elderly patients with serious underlying illnesses. Most
infections occur in hospitals (including community hospitals),
nursing homes etc., but it can also occur in primary care
settings.
Prevention of C. Diff disease can
include the following:
-
Prudent antibiotic prescribing to
reduce the use of broad spectrum antibiotics
-
Isolation of patients with C.
difficile diarrhoea and good infection control nursing
-
Hand washing (not relying solely on
alcohol gel as this does not kill the spores)
Enhanced environmental cleaning and use
of a chlorine containing disinfectant where there are cases of
C. Diff disease to reduce environmental contamination with the
spores.
Suffering from
C Diff
If you or someone you know has
contracted C-Dif, you will be aware of how devastating and
stressful it can be. A C Diff Infection is by far the most
common cause of diarrhoea found in hospital patients. The
presence of C Diff in hospitalised adults is ten times higher
than in ordinarily healthy adults.
C.Diff Infection can spread very quickly
and it is not easy to kill by cleaning agents that most
hospitals will use. C.Diff forms spores which people who are
infected can transfer, by contact with each other, surfaces and
those spores can live for up to five months.
C Diff is very difficult to treat and
treatment may last months. Strong antibiotics are needed to
combat this bug. Alcohol based hand cleansers are not effective
against the spread of C Diff, good hand washing practice is
recommended.
What can I
claim for?
Generally, compensation for general
damages for pain, discomfort and loss of amenity will vary
depending on the severity of symptoms / condition and the period
of time for which they have or are likely to last. The greater
the level of pain and discomfort and the longer the symptoms
persist, the higher the compensation.
In addition to general damages, you may
also claim for all heads of Special Damages, to include past and
future loss of earnings; overtime; bonus pay; gratuitous care
provided by family / friends ; travel expenses; payments for
painkillers; private medical treatment; pension loss; etc.
If the health care worker has failed to
follow the correct infection control, which has then resulted in
you contracting C Diff, they may be liable for any suffering or
injury you have had. If there has been a delay in diagnosis
resulting in a delay in you getting the treatment you needed,
you may be entitled to claim compensation. If you did not
receive the right antibiotics and the right course of treatment,
there may be a case of medical negligence.
As with all medical negligence claims,
it is important that you speak with an experienced clinical
negligence solicitor, strict time limits apply, so contact us
today to see if you are entitled to bring a medical negligence
claim for C Diff.
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