We have recently successfully recovered compensation in the sum of £50,000 for a client on behalf of his deceased wife after a hospital failed to adequately provide steroid cover which led to an addisonian crisis, multi-organ failure, and eventually her very sad death.
If steroids are used on a daily basis over a long period of time, our bodies become reliant upon them and our natural production of cortisol by the adrenal gland is significantly reduced. If our bodies do not produce glucocorticoid hormones such as cortisol, it reduces the body’s ability to develop an effective immune system. This can lead to the body going into a state of shock, seizures or multiple organ failures can occur and in some cases, it can even lead to death. This is known as an addisonian or adrenal crisis. It is a chronic life-threatening condition that requires emergency treatment with steroids. If the treatment is not provided in a timely manner, the consequences can be catastrophic and even fatal.
Since 2010 our client’s wife had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and was treated with daily steroids for this. In 2012 she woke suddenly with very severe worsening pains in the back of her hands and so she was taken by ambulance to the hospital. The hospital was made aware of her daily medications and in particular her use of steroids for arthritis, which was vital for her to be continued on.
Following further investigations, it was suspected that she was suffering from septic arthritis. She was admitted to the orthopaedic ward for further investigations and treatment. An x-ray revealed that the wrist was very swollen and confirmed to be septic.
Our client’s wife wasn’t given her regular dose of steroids until two days after her first admission. The following day she suffered from three hyperglycaemic attacks and blood tests revealed abnormal kidney function. Our client’s wife appeared to be deteriorating but the hospital seemed unconcerned.
Five days after her admission she collapsed and was found to have suffered an acute kidney injury. Her steroid dose was assessed to be too low and was thereafter doubled, with intravenous hydrocortisone given.
The condition of our client’s wife worsened and following a second opinion from a doctor in the high dependency unit she was diagnosed with hospital-acquired pneumonia. She was thereafter transferred through to the high dependency unit where it was established that her body was in an addisonian crisis due to the lack of steroids. Unfortunately, our client’s wife went into multi-organ failure and sadly passed away.
Following considerable initial investigations and analysis of the medical records, we proceeded to bring the action against the hospital. It was alleged that the hospital failed to provide adequate steroid cover and recognise signs of deterioration which led to an avoidable addisonian crisis, multi-organ failure, and our client’s sad death.
Although some partial admissions were made by the defendant’s solicitor, liability in relation to her avoidable death was strongly denied. We remained firm in our views that our client’s very sad death was avoidable and proceeded to obtain supportive expert evidence from both an orthopaedic surgeon and a consultant physician.
Despite this, the defendant’s solicitor continued to dispute whether our client’s wife’s death was avoidable, but we remained strong in our views which were supported with expert evidence and proceeded to issue Court proceedings against the hospital.
We entered into significant negotiations in an attempt to agree on a settlement prior to attending what would have been a very emotional hearing in court for our client. The defendant put forward an unsatisfactory offer but we stood firm in our position and proceeded to strongly negotiate a settlement.
Our client was pleased to accept £50,000 in full and final settlement of the claim on behalf of his late wife. This settlement figure included a claim for general damages, loss of earnings, bereavement damages, funeral expenses and dependency claim.
Kerry Goulden, who had the conduct of the case, was pleased to achieve a good outcome for the family, who were understandably extremely upset about the care received from the hospital. The case highlights how a simple mistake of not giving enough steroids can have life-changing and devastating effects.
How can we help you?
Please contact us for advice if you feel you have suffered any form of negligent medical/dental treatment. We have a specialist team of medical negligence solicitors who are always happy to help.
If you would like advice on whether you have a potential clinical negligence claim or assistance with drafting a letter of complaint, please contact us on the number below. Please note that there are legal time limits in place for starting a claim for compensation, and our specialist clinical negligence solicitors will be able to advise you specifically on the facts of your own case.
