Appendicitis Claims

It is extremely painful. In England, around 50,000 people per year are admitted to hospital with appendicitis. Usually, the appendix needs to be removed. This is called an appendicectomy.

Appendicitis is a condition which is relatively often misdiagnosed. The initial sign is usually pain in the middle of the tummy which can be wrongly diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome or another stomach complaint. The pain then travels to the lower right-hand side and becomes constant and severe. Other symptoms that can develop include nausea and diarrhoea.

If appendicitis is not recognised and treated quickly then the inflamed appendix can burst or perforate, spreading infection. This can cause peritonitis which is a serious infection of the lining of the abdominal cavity and which can cause long term problems or be fatal if not treated swiftly. A ruptured appendix can impact on other organs including the fallopian tubes in females which can in turn cause problems with fertility.

An abscess can sometimes occur as a complication of an appendicectomy. This needs to be diagnosed and treated to prevent it from bursting, leading to pus leaking into the body and causing a serious infection such as sepsis.

If a medical professional fails to diagnose appendicitis in time or refer to hospital leading to an injury, such as a burst appendix, then there may be a legal claim for compensation.