Delays in a diagnosis of sepsis in patients at a GP surgery or Hospital can be the difference between life and death. Sadly however, about 50,000 people die from sepsis each year in the UK.
Regrettably many patients with sepsis have been failed by the NHS and have died due to errors in detection that has lead to deaths that could have been avoided. Families who have suffered bereavement due to late or misdiagnosed sepsis detected can claim compensation, see our specialist webpage on late sepsis diagnosis compensation claims
Ground Breaking Early Detection of Sepsis
However hopefully these tragic statistics of misdiagnoses of sepsis will be reduced in the years to come following the NHS’s groundbreaking testing system, pivotal in the rapid diagnosis of sepsis, and other infections set to transform patient care in critical settings. This technological advancement, initially trialled at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, significantly reduces the time required to diagnose infections, a crucial factor in sepsis treatment where every hour counts.
For a patient with sepsis, every hour on the wrong treatment increases the chance of dying by 2 per cent, and current investigations can take days. However the new innovative technology scrutinises a sample’s genetic material by observing fluctuations in an electrical current as it moves through minuscule openings.
Sophisticated algorithms then interpret these changes to pinpoint a comprehensive range of pathogens and microbes present in the sample.This approach merges biological understanding with data analysis, accelerating diagnosis to mere hours, a critical factor in saving lives. This groundbreaking technology to NHS patients will change early detection from days to a matter of hours to detect infections such as sepsis.
A three-year pilot study conducted by the trust in collaboration with Oxford Nanopore Technologies
The expanded application of this technology is expected to yield economic benefits, such as reducing hospital stays, helping to discern which patients requires isolation and which could safely return home.
In that study it confirms ‘Metagenomic’ sequencing of the respiratory samples also revealed a hidden burden of infections in routinely admitted, seriously unwell sepsis patients, undetected by traditional microbiology, which can fundamentally improve management of patients with prolonged intensive care unit stays. Each year, sepsis claims around 50,000 lives and costs the NHS in England about £2 billion.’
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust has been involved in a pioneering pilot for rapid genetic testing. It is said that the technology enables comprehensive genetic analysis, identifying sepsis early and all bacterial, viral, and fungal micro-organisms that might be causing an infection. This leads to faster, more accurate treatments for patients.
The initial pilot at St Thomas’ Hospital demonstrated that the rapid genetic testing could improve treatment for almost half of the patients involved. This was a significant improvement compared to traditional methods, which could take around three days to yield results. With this new technology, results can be obtained in as little as 7 hours, allowing patients to receive appropriate medication and treatment on the same day.
The emphasis on rapid and accurate diagnosis is particularly vital for patients in intensive care, where timely treatment can significantly impact outcomes. The expansion of this technology is a step forward in transforming patient care at a genomic level, providing a more efficient and effective healthcare service.
For more detailed information, you can visit the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Failure to diagnose sepsis and compensation
Whilst we wait for the new technology to take hold those families who have lost a loved one or anyone that has been affected by the late diagnosis of sepsis that has suffered injury can make a claim for compensation.
It is recorded that on average, every day about 240 people in the world will die of sepsis. In the United Kingdom almost a quarter of a million people are affected by sepsis with about 50,000 people dying every year of a sepsis-related conditions. Not every case will result in a negligent claim against the Hospital or GP that failed to diagnose sepsis (or diagnosing in time) but there is an ever increasing understanding and awareness that is likely to lead to further queries by patients who have contracted sepsis leading to investigations by solicitors and their medical team to claim compensation.
Click below now to make a claim for late detection of sepsis.
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Compensation for delayed treatment at Betsi Cadwaladr Hospital
In a damming report and article concering delayed treatment of sepsis at Betsi Cadwaladr Hospital, in North Wales, it is reported that some patients has to wait for over 12 hours to be given vital treatment of antibiotics to fight sepis contracted by a patient. Certainly any patient who has experienced delays when waiting to receive antibiotics at Betsi Cadwaladr Hospital for sepsis may be able to claim compensation for delayed treatment of sepsis from R James Hutcheon Solicitors.
Inspectors at the North Wales Hospital found significant delays in patients receiving care in the Emergency Department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, which is ran by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
