Delay in Diagnosis of Flesh Eating Bacteria Leads to Death

Reports indicate that a woman died following an alleged delay in diagnosis of "necrotizing fasciitis," also known as flesh eating bacteria. According to numerous sources, after returning from a vacation to Florida, the woman noticed a small bump on her bottom. She went to the doctor in early March and was diagnosed with a pimple or abscess, and was sent home with anti-biotics. The next day, according to reports, she wasn't feeling any better so they returned to the emergency room. Again, the woman and her husband were assured that the medication would help, and that the wound would clear up. Over the next few weeks the woman became increasingly ill, and had trouble breathing and was vomiting blood. At that point, she was taken to the hospital where doctors performed a biopsy and she was told that she had flesh eating bacteria requiring immediate surgery. She died shortly thereafter. The family believes that had the condition been diagnosed sooner, she could have received the treatment she required and her life could have been spared, according to media reports.

The failure to diagnose a condition and treat it as soon as possible is a leading cause of medical malpractice. In order to ensure the best possible outcome, a doctor must identify an issue, and take the appropriate course of action, whether treatment involves surgery, medication, or other intervention. When a delay leads to harm, and makes the chance of a full recovery less likely, then it may be possible to bring a medical malpractice action for damages suffered. Delay in diagnoses may be especially harmful in situations such as aggressive infections, certain cancers, stroke and heart attacks, where immediate intervention can prevent lifelong catastrophic results, even death.