- anaesthetic awareness
- birth injury
- brain haemorrhage
- cancer misdiagnosis
- cauda equina syndrome
- cerebral palsy
- cosmetic surgery
- dental negligence
- gynaecology errors
- laparoscopy surgery
- medical negligence solicitors
- neonatal conditions
- obstetric cholestasis
- surgery negligence
- gastric band surgery
- prescription errors
Crohn's Disease - Medical Negligence Claim
Thousands of clinical compensation claims are initiated every year in the United Kingdom by medical negligence solicitors on behalf of people from all walks of life. A multitude of operations and procedures are executed successfully however a small percentage do go wrong, laying the grounds for medical negligence solicitors to take legal action in order to claim compensation. Both legal aid and the no win no fee scheme are available to pursue medical negligence compensation claims.
Please contact us for help pursuing your claim.
Medical Negligence Compensation Claim Solicitors Helpline 0844 332 0095
Crohn's disease is one of a handful of inflammatory bowel diseases that cause inflammation of the lining of various parts of the digestive tract. The main symptoms are malnutrition, diarrhea and abdominal pain. It can also lead to complications that may be life-threatening. Crohn's disease is not curable but there are many medications and therapies that can be done to make it a livable disease.
The symptoms of Crohn's disease may be mild, moderate or severe and it may come on gradually or suddenly. Remission is possible but it often flairs up again. The main symptoms of Crohn's disease include diarrhea along with abdominal cramping and pain. It can cause ulceration of portions of the bowel so that the bowel is irritated and cramps in response. The pain can be so severe that it leads to nausea and vomiting. There is often blood in the stool because of the inflammation and ulceration in the bowel lining. Ulcers can form on the lining of the intestinal tract. You can also get sores in the mouth from Crohn's disease affecting the mouth. Malabsorption can lead to weight loss; you can also have a loss of appetite as part of the disease.
Other signs you might have Crohn's disease include tiredness, fever, arthritic symptoms, inflammation of the eyes, skin rashes, liver or biliary duct inflammation, and delayed sexual maturation and overall growth if children develop the disease.
The cause or causes of Crohn's disease are not clear. Doctors feel like heredity and immunity have something to do with it. Some feel that viruses or bacteria cause the onset of Crohn's disease. It is believed that, in the fighting off of the pathogen, the GI tract gets in the way and gets inflamed. Certain genetic mutations are also associated with those who develop Crohn's colitis
Risk factors for the disease include being of the age of 20-30 at onset, being of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, having a strong family history, smoking cigarettes, and living in an urban area. It is estimated that up to 1 in 5 people who have Crohn's disease also have family members who have the disease. Those who use Accutane seem to have a higher risk for Crohn's disease and people who take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications can get Crohn's disease or can have existing disease get worse.
Some complications of Crohn's colitis are bowel obstruction if the intestinal wall becomes thickened all around its surface so that there is a narrowing of the intestinal lumen. Ulcers can occur at any point in the digestive tract. Fistulas, or holes in the intestine that extend through to the abdominal wall or between different parts of the intestine or other structures, can occur. You can get an anal fissure or cracks in the anus that can cause painful bowel movements. Malnutrition along with abdominal pain, diarrhea and cramping are common. Crohn's disease can increase your risk of colon cancer although this is present in 10 percent or less of individuals with irritable bowel disease. As it turns out, medications can contribute to cancer risk. These include mercaptopurine, infliximab and other medications.
Crohn's disease can be diagnosed, sometimes as a diagnosis of exclusion. There are blood tests that check for anemia that can happen in Crohn's disease. Certain antibodies can be associated with Crohn's disease or other types of colitis. A stool test for occult blood can tell if there is blood in the stool. A colonoscopy and biopsy can prove whether or not you have Crohn's colitis because it can show the granulomas common in the disease. A barium enema can show areas of narrowed colon and small bowel. Small bowel imaging is best done with a barium swallow test that includes a small bowel follow through. A CT scan of the colon and small bowel can also show areas of fistulas or narrowing of the bowel. In rare cases, a capsule endoscopy test can be done in which the patient swallows a tiny camera that can see areas involved with Crohn's colitis. Biopsies cannot, however, be done with this diagnostic modality.
Treatment for Crohn's disease includes surgery to remove areas of bowel that are seriously damaged or have developed a fistula. Medications that help the inflammation of Crohn's colitis include Azulfidine, Asacol and corticosteroids. Medications don't always work with Crohn's disease and it sometimes takes trial and error to see which ones work. Corticosteroids work for short term use and cannot be used for long term therapy. Immune suppressors also work for Crohn's disease. These include Imuran and Perinethol. Remicade works if other treatments aren't successful.