Woman dies from sepsis and multi-organ failure after delays in diagnosing bowel obstruction

On 30 July 2019, a 27-year-old woman who we will refer to as Maria was admitted to hospital with sharp abdominal pain. She underwent an appendectomy the following day.  

 An ultrasound performed ahead of the surgery revealed several oval masses in Maria’s abdomen, but these were not recorded in the sonographer’s report. 

Two months later, Maria returned to the Emergency Department with severe abdominal symptoms, including pain, vomiting, and rectal bleeding. Despite her symptoms of bleeding and abnormal blood results, she was discharged with a provisional diagnosis of gastritis, or inflamed stomach lining. 

The next day, Maria’s GP noted significant deterioration, including vomiting brown fluid and walking hunched over in pain. Alarmed by her condition, the GP referred her back to hospital. However, she was not promptly assessed by the surgical team, and a note later suggested a diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis, with small bowel obstruction (SBO) not ruled out. 

Maria returned to the hospital early the next morning after her condition worsened further. Despite signs of intestinal obstruction, further imaging was not initially pursued. An abdominal x-ray confirmed SBO, but a CT scan was delayed until the following day. 

By then, Maria’s condition had deteriorated significantly. A CT scan revealed that her intestine had twisted around itself and the supporting membrane in her small intestine, and Maria had emergency surgery twice. The surgery found that Maria was suffering from widespread necrosis, or the death of body tissue. Maria did not recover following the second surgery, and she died on 28 September 2019. 

An inquest concluded that the cause of death was sepsis and multi-organ failure, due to acute stomach lining inflammation and necrotising fasciitis (a soft-tissues infection also known as “flesh-eating disease”) of the abdominal wall following small bowel surgery. 

Maria’s family instructed medical negligence partner Nandi Jordan from law firm Leigh Day to investigate her case. Experts instructed in the case indicated that if the masses had been recorded in July 2019, it is likely that the abdominal obstruction suffered two months later would have been treated in time for Maria to make a full recovery. The case was settled on behalf of Maria’s family without an admission of liability. The defendant agreed to pay £60,000 in settlement of the claim. 

Nandi Jordan said: 

“Whilst I am glad that we managed to secure this settlement for our client, nothing can ever make full amends for the loss of this young woman who was a beloved daughter and sister, nor make good the tremendous suffering she endured. I hope that this provides her family with some semblance of closure.” 

Sophie Beesley of Old Square Chambers was instructed as counsel.