A hospital trust has apologised to a woman who was struck down by sepsis following an operation. Susan Reynolds developed the life-threatening condition after undergoing abdominal surgery at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport in April 2016.
Over the next ten days, her wound failed to heal and she became increasingly ill. Ms Reynolds started vomiting, had an increased heart rate and complained of feeling ‘confused.’
About three weeks after the surgery, doctors had to put her on a ventilator after she began suffering from respiratory issues. She was later diagnosed with sepsis - a condition where the body attacks itself in response to an infection - and was given antibiotics.
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Over the ensuing months, Ms Reynolds developed further infection and says she feared she 'might die'. She was eventually discharged from hospital in November 2016 but says she has continued to suffer bladder problems, as well as psychiatric issues including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
After Ms Reynolds launched a legal challenge, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust has admitted several failings in her treatment, which it says 'fell short of the standard of care we want to provide'. They include a delay of nine days in Ms Reynolds receiving debridement, a procedure which involves cleaning and removing all dead tissue from the wound.
The trust also admitted a seven-day delay in the application of a specialist dressing to help close the wound and increase healing and accepted that the delays ‘contributed to’ Ms Reynolds' condition deteriorating.
Ms Reynolds, 75, is now calling for lessons to be learned from her experience and says she wants to raise awareness of the symptoms of sepsis.
She said: “My time in hospital was nothing short of traumatic and I still have nightmares to this day about it. On more than one occasion, I thought I might die in there; it was awful.
“I could tell something wasn’t quite right after my surgery but it took a long time for me to get the treatment I needed. To know that this should have been done around a week earlier really upset me, but I’m grateful that the hospital trust has admitted this.
“To this day, I’m still not 100 per cent. I’ve really struggled with my mental health since then and I also have issues with my bladder which means I find it difficult to go out much in case I need the toilet.
“I know it could have been a lot worse as sepsis can be incredibly dangerous so I hope that by sharing my story, I can make others aware of the signs. I wouldn’t want anyone else going through what I have.”
Signs of sepsis include slurred speech, confusion, extreme shivering and muscle pain, passing no urine in a day, severe breathlessness and mottled or discoloured skin.
A spokesperson for Stockport NHS Foundation Trust said: “We always aim to deliver the best possible care and Mrs Reynold's care fell short of the standard of care we want to provide. We have apologised to her and settled her legal claim.
"Over the last six years ago we have made significant changes to the way we diagnose and treat sepsis, and we are always looking for ways we can make further improvements."
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