£17,500 secured after extravasation occurred during straightforward iron infusion.
M is a sickle cell sufferer and had low iron levels throughout her pregnancy. When iron pills weren’t working, her doctor arranged a ferinject iron infusion.
When M attended her appointment at hospital, the midwife initially tried to cannulate her wrist but this was not successful. She then cannulated M’s mid arm, switched the infusion on and left the cubicle without explaining anything about the procedure other than to say that it would take about 15 minutes.
Almost immediately, M felt an uncomfortable feeling as if her arm was inflating and a stinging sensation. She started to feel faint and sick and broke into a sweat but could not move to raise the alarm as she was attached to the infusion machine by her cannula. Several minutes later, the midwife returned and stopped the infusion when M told her what was happening. After taking her blood pressure and temperature, the midwife advised her that the infusion would need to be completed and restarted the infusion. As soon as the infusion started again, M felt the same pain and discomfort until it was completed. She was kept on the ward for monitoring for a couple of hours before being discharged home.
The next morning, M’s arm was extremely painful and severely bruised. She spoke to her doctor who explained that this was an extravasation injury, caused by medication leaking out of the vein and into the surrounding tissue. The doctor apologised and a serious incident report later made several recommendations around training for staff involved in administering infusions.
How extravasation affected M’s life.
The pain in M’s arm persisted for around three months and made everyday tasks almost impossible. This was particularly distressing because she struggled to hold and care for her new baby. The discolouration of her skin looked as if her upper arm was completely bruised. She had previously had feelings of anxiety which now became worse and she was extremely self-conscious about exposing her arm in public.
The role of medical experts.
Medical experts play a crucial role in claims like these. In M’s case, we instructed a Plastic Surgeon and a Clinical Psychologist to assess the impact on M and to advise on future treatments.
Unfortunately for M, the staining to her arm is permanent and medical treatment is unlikely to be successful. However, our experts were able to provide valuable advice on the right psychological support and the use of camouflage makeup in the future. Their evidence helped us secure £17,500 for M.
Our expert solicitors are here to help make a claim where negligent extravasation has occurred. Contact our enquiries team today to find out if you have a claim for compensation.
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