Misdiagnosed and undiagnosed internal bleeding claims

Making an Undiagnosed Internal Bleeding Claim

Any situation where a medical professional responsible for your care fails to recognise and appropriately address the onset of internal bleeding could entitle you to make a claim for undiagnosed internal bleeding. Some of the more common instances where this is applicable include the following:

• Where you present to your doctor with general symptoms which might conceivably be attributed to internal bleeding, such as pain, swelling, headaches or dizziness, but he or she does not conduct the necessary inquiries or examinations to determine if this is the case.
• Where appropriate medical examination is undertaken, but signs of internal bleeding are missed.
• Where your doctor suspects internal bleeding may be blamed for your symptoms but does not effectively operate on you to locate, diagnose and treat the bleeding.
• Where pain experienced as a result of internal bleeding is misdiagnosed as resulting from another condition, such as a migraine, leading to a worsening of the bleeding and potentially other complications.
• Where intra-abdominal bleeding is not diagnosed sufficiently early enough to allow treatment via non-invasive means, meaning surgery is necessary, which can leave you with scarring, as well as additional pain and/or suffering.
• Where doctors fail to detect the onset of compartment syndrome; which involves bleeding within the muscles, leading to muscle necrosis (death) and significant mobility issues for you, the patient.

These situations do not represent a comprehensive list of all scenarios where you might conceivably be entitled to make a compensation claim for undiagnosed internal bleeding. If you have experienced ill-health as a result of doctors failing to diagnose or treat the condition promptly, it’s important you speak to a legal expert to determine what your options are.

Recognised by the Legal 500 and one of the premier providers of legal advice and support in the South East, Blackwater Law clinical negligence solicitors are well-placed to assist you. Our lawyers have successfully handled thousands of claims relating to undiagnosed internal bleeding, and will fight to secure you the maximum possible compensation award according to your specific circumstances; keeping you informed and up-to-date at every stage along the way.

Types of Internal Bleeding

Internal bleeding is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of specific afflictions and injuries. It may be possible to make an undiagnosed internal bleeding compensation claim in the event of any one of these, but some of the more common afflictions claimants endure include the following:

Rectal Bleeding:

Rectal bleeding is experienced by approximately 10% of the adult population every year and is generally observed as small amounts of bright-red blood on toilet paper, or droplets that can turn the water in your toilet pink. As long as it is bright red in colour, it is likely to have come from somewhere close to your anus and may be indicative of haemorrhoids or a small tear in the rectal tissue. This is unlikely to herald a medical emergency but is still something you should have checked by your doctor to rule out more serious conditions.

Where your rectal bleeding is a darker colour, and where it affects the colour of your faeces (turning it darker brown or plum-coloured; known as melaena), as well as its texture (making it more sticky), the bleeding is likely to have come from deeper inside your digestive system and is much more likely to be attributed to a serious condition. If you discover this, you should immediately contact your GP or call NHS 111.

Rectal bleeding can be caused by a wide range of afflictions, some relatively minor such as the aforementioned haemorrhoids or rectal tissue tears, and others more serious; including the likes of sexually transmitted diseases, abnormal blood vessel development or even bowel cancer. Regardless of the cause, getting a prompt diagnosis and addressing the problem early is the safest way to achieve a positive outcome, especially as the course of treatment you are likely to require will depend on doctors’ assessment of what exactly has caused your rectal bleeding.

Stomach Ulcers:

Sometimes identified as gastric ulcers, or where they develop beyond the stomach; duodenal ulcers, occur where the protective barrier separating the stomach lining from your stomach acid breaks down or is breached, allowing said acid to damage your stomach lining. They typically develop following infection by Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) bacteria, but may also be attributed to overuse of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or aspirin.

Bleeding can occur at the site of the ulcer, which can lead to you passing dark, sticky, tar-like stools. Typical symptoms also include sharp, gnawing pains in the stomach, as well as vomiting blood, which can vary in colour and texture. Serious complications can include the site of the ulcer splitting open (known as a perforation), or the ulcer blocking the passage of food through your digestive system (known as gastric obstruction).

Treatment for stomach ulcers usually involves the prescription of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medication, which acts to reduce the amount of stomach acid you produce, allowing the ulcers some degree of refuge to recover. Where the aforementioned H. Pylori bacteria is identified as the cause of your stomach ulcer you will also be prescribed antibiotics to kill it and prevent the return of ulcers. With prompt and accurate diagnosis, treatment is usually effective within 1-2 months.

Brain Aneurysms:

Aneurysms are where blood vessel walls become weakened, and as a result, when blood passes through them, they bulge or inflate.  They are known to be particularly common in the brain, where they may also be referred to as intracranial or cerebral aneurysms. Most only produce noticeable symptoms when they burst, and the majority do not.

Where they do, however, it leads to an extremely dangerous condition known as a subarachnoid haemorrhage; where catastrophic internal bleeding causes massive brain damage and agonising symptoms including severe “thunderclap” headache, and a stiff neck, sickness/vomiting and extreme sensitivity to light. The mortality rate in such cases stands at around 60% after two weeks, with survivors left with severe disabilities. Ruptured brain aneurysms represent a medical emergency, and you should contact 999 immediately if you believe someone is suffering one.

Where aneurysms are detected before they rupture, they are most often kept under observation for signs of deterioration. Should you present with a high risks brain aneurysm, treatment may involve having it filled with tiny metal coils to fortify it, or a surgical procedure to shut it using a small metal clip. Less aggressive treatment methods for lower-risk aneurysms include the prescription of medication to reduce your blood pressure. Similar techniques may be employed to tackle aneurysms that have ruptured but must be executed swiftly in order to prevent severe brain damage and risk of death.

Compartment Syndrome:

Compartment Syndrome describes a build-up of pressure within muscle compartments as a result of bleeding within them post-surgery. It can occur in the forearm or the upper arm, as well as the buttocks, in the legs, the feet or in the abdomen, but is most commonly identified just below the knee.

It can occur post-surgery and remain undiagnosed, which in itself may present a case for making an undiagnosed internal bleeding claim, or be caused directly by the surgeon’s actions and then still remain undiagnosed, which would have a significant effect on any prospective claim should this be verified as having been the case.

Where it is not detected and alleviated in time, it can restrict or even cut off the blood flow to affected muscles, leading to tissue necrosis (death) and subsequent long-term mobility problems. Where the condition is observed, doctors must act quickly to determine the best means of releasing the built-up pressure and saving the muscles affected.