Knee surgery infection costs father his life
20/09/2006
We just wanted to say thank you. We will never be able to repay you or express how grateful we are to you for all the support and help. There would have been no one in the world that we would have had in preference to you to act for us.
John, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Sean Phillips banged his left knee after jumping over a traffic bollard during an engagement party in London. When the knee continued to give him trouble, he was sent to hospital where doctors found he had torn the tendon. Unfortunately what should have been a routine knee operation turned to tragedy after the 31-year-old father died when doctors failed to spot crucial symptoms of an infection caused by the knee surgery.
Toxic shock syndrome
Mr Phillips had minor surgery to repair the tendon at Southampton General Hospital on 23 June 2000. But unfortunately the father of one died of staphylococcus toxic shock syndrome on 27 June 2000 after he had a rare reaction to toxins produced by a staphylococcus aureus wound infection.
Hampshire police launched an investigation interviewing around 200 witnesses. The detective leading the investigation into Mr Phillips death reported that he had a very rare complication of a common infection, raising his pulse and temperature, lowering his blood pressure and causing his kidneys to fail. Despite warnings from the nurses caring for Mr Phillips, the doctors were negligent in failing to notice the abnormal pulse, temperature and blood pressure levels. They failed to recognise the seriousness of the patient's condition or provide any appropriate diagnosis or treatment.
A course of course of broad spectrum antibiotics would have killed the bacteria and prevented them from multiplying, but no such medication was prescribed.
Mr Phillips developed a red rash on his torso, his arms and legs were cold but he was conscious and awake by the time a doctor diagnosed septic shock and acute renal failure. He was eventually given broad spectrum antibiotic and fluids and transferred to an emergency ward, but the patient suffered a heart attack and did not regain consciousness.
Senior house officers Amit Misra and Rajeev Srivastava have subsequently been convicted of the manslaughter of Mr Phillips by gross negligence and both were sentenced to 18 months in prison suspended for two years and were suspended by the GMC.
Southampton University Hospital Trust was also fined £100,000 under the Health and Safety Act after pleading guilty to failing to supervise doctors at the hospital. The Trust has been granted leave to appeal the level of the fine and is awaiting a hearing date at the Court of Appeal in London.
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