Over recent years the practice of administering medical iron infusions have come under closer scrutiny from both the media and medical professionals. They are prescribed to help treat and prevent iron deficiency anaemia. Occasionally, however, there can be issues with how the infusion is administered.
When it goes wrong the effects can be long-lasting. When that’s the case, it’s possible to make a medical negligence claim for compensation.
What is an iron infusion?
Iron infusions are used when dietary changes and iron supplements have proven ineffective in treating iron deficiency. They’re usually administered via injection, or by a drip straight into the vein in a procedure that lasts between 30 minutes and an hour.
Like most medical procedures, they come with a range of potential side-effects. The potential side effects of iron infusions can include:
- Bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet.
- Dizziness, faintness, or light-headedness when getting up suddenly from a sitting or lying position.
- Gastrointestinal pains such as nausea or cramps.
- Problems with breathing.
- Skin problems, including rashes.
- Chest pains.
- Low blood pressure.
- Anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction that can include difficulty breathing, itching, or a rash that can cover the whole body).
- Extravasation injury (damage caused by the loss of the solution from the vessel into the surrounding tissue spaces during an intravenous infusion. It can cause long term discolouration, ongoing pain and a loss of mobility).
If you have undergone an iron infusion procedure and you feel it fell below a minimum professional standard of competence, resulting in an avoidable physical or psychological injury, you may well be able to make a medical negligence claim.
How does a claim work?
Clinical negligence cases can be complex and may take some time to reach a conclusion. A claimant in an iron infusion medical negligence case will need to prove fault on the part of medical healthcare professionals, and they will need to establish that there has been avoidable harm that has impacted you personally. This is known as causation.
This can make medical negligence claims appear daunting, and it often prevents people from making a claim, even in cases where they have a reasonable chance of success. With the right support, expertise and legal knowledge working with you, the whole process becomes much more straightforward.
What proof do I need?
Medical negligence cases need to be built on evidence. The more evidence you can provide the more likely your case will be to succeed. The kind of evidence that could be useful are:
- Medical records
- Photographs
- Detailed statements from the claimant
- Witness statements (these can be from family, friends, and employer or work colleagues)
- Financial evidence (did side-effects result in you being unable to work? Did you incur costs having subsequent medical treatment?)
- Any reports from medical experts that can be used as evidence
How much can I claim?
Lots of different factors will be taken into account when working out the value of any compensation claim. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and every case will be different, but the factors are likely to include:
- Severity of the injury
- Impact on daily life
- Length of recovery
- Loss of earnings and projected earnings
- Punitive damages
Is my claim likely to succeed?
Any claim for medical negligence can be time-consuming, involved and sometimes distressing. It’s not something that should be entered into without due consideration. The complexity of a medical negligence claim requires specialist legal knowledge. At Mark Reynolds Solicitors we have pursued countless successful medical negligence claims, helping our clients build up the necessary body of evidence and guiding them through the process.
We offer our services on a no-win, no-fee basis, meaning that you pay nothing unless your claim is successful. With that in mind, we have no interest in encouraging you to make a claim we don’t feel would have a reasonable chance of success.
For professional and sensitive advice about iron infusion medical negligence claims, call us on 0800 002 9577, or complete our online contact form.