Extravasation Injury Solicitors
At Ison Harrison we have a strong team of experienced clinical negligence professionals, headed up by James Thompson. Call our team immediately to discuss what we can do to help you.
What is An Extravasation Injury?
Extravasation is the leakage, through an IV drip or injection through a vein, of certain harmful medicines, such as chemotherapy or penicillin. Damage caused by medicines is generally split into two categories; ‘irritants’ which cause only slight damage and ‘vesicants’ which cause more serious damage.
What injuries can extravasation cause?
These can range from blisters to cell or tissue death and in severe cases your injuries can require reconstructive surgery or lead to amputation.
How are extravasation injuries caused?
Extravasation can be a complication that is nobody’s fault. However, it can also be caused by human error. So if you feel that your treatment involved one of these errors you might be entitled to some compensation and you should contact our clinical negligence solicitors today:
- The device that administers the medicine was not secured properly
- The device was the incorrect size
- The device was placed on an instable area and became loose or dislodged
- A needle punctured the vein causing the medicine to spread into the surrounding tissue
- The same vein was used multiple times, and was too weak
- Young patients are at risk because they have small veins and so a surgeon needs to compensate for this
- Older patients are at risk because their veins may be more fragile
Signs and symptoms of extravasation injuries
Symptoms of an extravasation injury can include:
- Coolness or blanching at the medicine insertion site
- Swelling
- Tenderness/discomfort
- Taut or stretched skin
- Leakage of fluid at the insertion site
- Inability to obtain blood return (not always present)
- Change in quality and flow of the infusion or injection
- Numbness, tingling or a pins and needles feeling
- Burning, stinging pain
- Redness may occur followed by blistering, tissue necrosis and ulceration
Our clinical negligence services
Offering advice and a claim plan for extravasation injuries is just one of our clinical negligence services. Our clinical negligence team are experienced in assessing cases, establishing a clear path forwards, accessing ongoing medical support and successfully proceeding with clinical negligence claims.
We are specialist solicitors with excellent client care priorities, we work diligently and professionally with a high success rate and we are experienced in dealing with highly complex areas of the medical profession.
What to do now?
Call us for a free, no obligation initial discussion, where we can establish whether your extravasation injuries were avoidable and whether you have grounds to proceed with a claim. Phone or email our clinical negligence team today and we can put you on the path to recovery, both physically and financially, with free advice.
