Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) is a serious condition that is caused by the narrowing of the spine. This causes the nerve roots below the level of the spinal cord to become compressed and trapped. There are many causes to CES and the narrowing of the spine, with the main one believed by medics to be an effect of surgery to the lower back. Some of the causes of CES may lead to a medical negligence claim.
Other causes of CES include:
- Spinal tumours
- Inflammatory conditions
- Infectious conditions
- Through medical intervention such as surgery
- Traumatic injury
- Slipped or prolapsed discs
When looking to diagnose CES medics use a number of red flagged symptoms:
- Has not passed urine for 6-8 hours
- Severe low back pain
- Bowel and bladder disturbance
- Saddle and genital sensory numbness
- Sciatica
- Sexual dysfunction
There are a number of reasons why there is often a delay in diagnosing a disease such as CES; the main one being the fact that it presents itself with common complaints that are also related to a number of other illnesses. Common complaints of CES are bowel, bladder and sexual problems. Doctors need to assess all possible aspects of the illness before they can successfully diagnose it.
When a patient is suffering from Cauda Equine Syndrome they generally require urgent surgical treatment. This is because the longer the compression continues the more likely they are to suffer from long term neurological damage. In almost half of the cases of CES it will be too late in the first 4-6 hours, and will result in complete Cauda Equine Syndrome. In cases like this there is a very small window of opportunity to do the necessary actions which include a referral to an appropriate hospital, confirmation of the diagnosis by MRI scan, and then to proceed to a surgical decompression.
If an MRI scan shows that the patient does have clinical features of CES, and the pressure on the spine can be reversed by surgical decompression, medics must act as soon as possible. The operation is extremely complicated and carries a risk of further damage to the nerve roots. This is why it is important that there are no delays when looking to treat of diagnose the disease.
Common causes of delay in diagnosing and treating CES are:
- GPs not recognising the ‘red flag’ symptoms
- Patients that delay medical help
- Junior accident and emergency staff who either misdiagnose the condition or fail to call for a consultant
- Hospital delays in admission
- Failure to warn of neurological damage prior to surgery for Cauda Equine Syndrome
Most people who develop CES are young to middle aged, and working before the symptoms occur. CES is a relatively rare disease with an estimated 100 new cases appearing each year. Due to the medical pitfalls related to CES it may be that anyone suffering from the disease could make an injury compensation claim, and would benefit from seeking legal advice.
