A Practical Guide to Sepsis and Meningitis Claims

Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of infection which requires rapid treatment and management. Untreated, it can lead to multi-organ failure and death. There are approximately 250,000 cases of sepsis in the UK each year, leading to at least 46,000 deaths.

There has been a growing appreciating within the medical community of sepsis, and new guidelines were published in 2016. Claims relating to sepsis often involve failure to monitor observations, failure to comply with the relevant guidelines, or failures in multi-disciplinary communication. Causation is almost invariably in issue.

Meningitis is a very serious disease. It can cause septicaemia (blood poisoning) and result in permanent brain and nerve damage. Even patients who are treated quickly can be left with hearing loss, recurrent seizures, and may require amputations. If not treated quickly, meningitis can be fatal. Claims often involve difficult causation issues.

This book will give an overview of the medical background, including an overview of signs, symptoms, treatment and outcomes. It will explore the issues on breach and causation that often arise, and will provide practical guidance for practitioners.