C. Difficile Compensation Claims
C Difficile Compensation Claims
What is C. difficile?
C. Difficile (or C. Diff) is a bacterium which lives in the large intestine.
Why is C. Diff dangerous?
C. difficile is in most cases harmless. It can live in the gut of healthy adults who may develop no symptoms.
However, C. difficile can pose a significant health risk in patients who have a lowered immune system or are being treated with antibiotics.
In most cases ‘good’ bacteria within the gut will keep the C. Diff bacteria in check. However, antibiotics are indiscriminate and so will attack the ‘good’ bacteria. As their numbers decrease, the C. difficile bacteria are able to multiply causing a C. difficile infection.
What are the symptoms?
C. difficile infection symptoms can range in severity from mild diarrhoea through to serious complications including ulcerative conditions and peritonitis.
Without treatment C. difficle infections often end in death. Unfortunately, many of the victims of C. Diff are elderly and are unable to recover from the infection as a result of an underlying illness.
Are C. difficile infections negligent?
Not necessarily. Whilst many may be caused by poor care and hygiene within the hospital, it is often very difficult to prove where the infection came from. Given that people carry C. Diff naturally and its relative ease of transfer and resistance to eradication, many C. difficile compensation claims will fail.
However, as with any claim, a delay in diagnosis and treatment may well give rise to a compensation claim.
Our Lawyers have provided advice in many C. difficile infection claims. Contact us today to discuss your concerns with a medical negligence Lawyer.
