Ulcerated foot treatment

[Judi Torrens]

My husband was sent to hospital with an ulcerated foot. The surgeon cleaned out the dead skin and left an open wound, with no stitches etc. He was left to bleed profusely for 5 days during which time his body defences were decimated leaving him unable to fight off the hospital pneumonia that eventually killed him. Why did the doctor leave him to bleed so much? Is this normal practice? Thanks :-((

 

[cugila]

This sounds very old fashioned type of treatment to me from what I have read recently about such things.

I am sorry to hear about the sad loss of your husband.

The science of wound care has advanced significantly over the past ten years. The old thought of “let the air get at it” is now known in most medical circles to be harmful to healing. Wounds and ulcers heal faster, with a lower risk of infection, if they are kept covered and moist.

Depending where you are you might need to get some specialist medical advice regarding the treatment that your husband had in the Hospital. It does seem to be a procedure that you need to question. Get help from a specialist medical negligence Solicitor if needs be.

 

[Judi Torrens]

Thanks for your answer. I am in Spain. I will seek advice but I really would like to know what medical wisdom there is behind letting someone lose so much blood. It wasn't any real infection that killed him (the foot was healing well) it was more his severe anaemia and compromised immune system that caused his death. Does anyone know why they let his wound bleed so much? His name was Tomeu Torrens and he was a great man.

 

[cugila]

There is no one here who is medically qualified to answer your questions.

There may be a reason why but in all honesty I can see no reason in my own very limited experience why Tomeu should have been left to bleed for such a long time. You did say that his wound was healing well ? Was the bleed from the wound or elsewhere ?

Sounds very strange.......

 

[sugarless sue]

Do you have Medical Insurance ? You could also consult them and see what they can come up with.

 

[Judi Torrens]

They were happy with the wound - no infection and it was all OK. But 2 days after the bleeding from his foot stopped he was overwhelmed with a raging pneumonia. I am not a doctor either but it seems to me that if a diabetic (who have lower defences than the rest of the population I think) is left to bleed then they will need iron or blood or something to help redress the balance in their immune system.

 

[Judi Torrens]

The trouble is, no doctor is willing to give an impartial opinion - too scared - and the hospital is refusing to give us his records - they simply say they are not in the computer. It's just awful.

 

[sugarless sue]

You really need specialist advice such as a solicitor to force them to get the records, hospitals must legally keep records, they can't just 'lose' them ! If they are not in a computer there must be hard copies of them somewhere.

Do you have a Data Protection Act in Spain ? In which case they are legally bound to allow next of kin to see the records.

 

[Judi Torrens]

Data Protection Act is a good idea. If we get no records from them this week I will have to go in with the police. This really is so terrible when you're still mourning - and with so many questions still unanswered... which is obviously partly why we want to see his records.

 

[sugarless sue]

I hope that you get his records, Judi and resolve all the questions and problems you are having. Good luck and be strong.

 

[Judi Torrens]

thanks everyone - look after yourselves