The week commencing May 5th marks Meningitis Awareness Week and our Medical Negligence team wanted to explain a little bit about meningitis to raise awareness of this infection which can have catastrophic consequences.
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges). It is more common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults, and there are two types – bacterial and viral. Viral meningitis is the most common and least serious type. Bacterial meningitis is rare, but can be very serious, and can lead to an acquired brain injury if not treated promptly. It is sometimes fatal.
Symptoms include: temperature, headache, a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it, stiff neck, vomiting, seizures (fitting), drowsiness and unresponsiveness, a sensitivity to light.
Treatment for meningitis
Viral meningitis often gets better on its own between 7 and 10 days – whereas bacterial meningitis will need hospitalisation and treatments that include antibiotics and fluids. Most people with bacterial meningitis who are treated quickly go on to make a full recovery – though some are left with lifelong problems, including:
- Hearing or vision loss (partial or total)
- Problems with memory/concentration
- Recurrent seizures, co-ordination, movement, balance, and mobility problems
- In serious cases sepsis resulting in organ damage and limb loss
Often cases of undiagnosed or untreated meningitis, especially those with a meningococcal bacterial cause, can have devastating consequences.
Case examples
David* was awarded seven-figure damages by the NHS who failed to identify symptoms relating to a bacterial meningitis further to an accidental head injury when he was a young child. The Trust omitted important tests and were found negligent in failing to identify and treat obvious signs of meningitis over and above the effects of the minor head injury. The child had developed cognitive problems into adulthood that would require emotional and behavioural one-to-one support through his lifetime, alongside being deprived of potential career earnings.
Josh* A young infant admitted to ED after 24 hours of being unwell was discharged home into the care of his parents. He remained unwell and the parents took him back 24 hours later, wherein he was again discharged. The Trust were found to be negligent for failing to perform a simple blood test which would have uncovered a bacterial meningitis at that stage. The infant, due to the delay in diagnosing and treating the meningitis, sustained a lifelong total hearing loss, for which compensation was sought.
*Names have been changed.
For further information and support, please see:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/
https://www.meningitisnow.org/
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/meningitis
https://meningitis-trust.org.uk/
If you believe that you have been a victim of undiagnosed or mistreated meningitis, then our specialist team can assist you with making a claim for negligence. Reach out to us:
Cullompton 01884 33818
Exeter 01392 285000