Father of one Ian Phillips, 46, had the rug pulled out from under him in shocking style. What started out as a condition that seemed pretty manageable turned into life-threatening sepsis. His three-year-old son had swung a wooden toy clock and hit him in the face. The violent impact from her decision left him with a permanent laceration, otherwise known as a scar, above his left eye. What started as a little scrape turned into serious life-threatening complications that required emergency room treatment.
Following the crash, Phillips was treated at an area hospital, where a general surgeon had to clean and glue the flap of skin. He walked out of the facility sure he’d recuperate without any real complication. That night, his health took a severe turn as his face puffed up significantly causing great fear for his life.
The hospital staff kept telling us that it wouldn’t be an infection. Yet it took an additional five hours into the night for any consultant ophthalmologist to even entertain a diagnosis of necrotising fasciitis, an uncommon but aggressive soft tissue infection. Phillips made a hurried cut to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for FDA-regulated drastic action. Doctors were forced to surgically remove his left eye in order to save his life.
Complications Arise from a Minor Injury
The entire incident started at home, during playtime, when Phillips’s son accidentally hit him with a wooden toy clock. However, the Graham cut above Ian’s left eye turned out to be serious.
“He was injured playing with his son. He had a wooden toy clock and he got hit in the face with it and had a small cut,” – Shari Liby, Ian’s spokesperson.
Phillips got emergency treatment at a nearby health center where clinical personnel treated and sutured the injury. They sent him home with minimal concern.
As the hours progressed, Phillips’s situation rapidly deteriorated. His wife, Jade, said that she felt that something was wrong.
“I knew instantly something had gone wrong in Geelong Hospital, that they didn’t act quickly enough,” – Jade Phillips.
Delayed Diagnosis of Necrotising Fasciitis
Throughout the night, Phillips had distressing symptoms. His face became extremely swollen, which led him to get additional medical care. Even as his condition worsened, first impressions by the hospital staff indicated that no infection was evident.
An internal review later stated that “suspicion for infection was low because the original injury was not contaminated.” This misjudgment delayed critical treatment.
Only after a consultant ophthalmologist saw him did queries into whether he could have necrotising fasciitis as a diagnosis be raised. This orphan disease is aggressive and its mortality rate is close to one-third. It requires prompt diagnosis, treatment with antibiotics and source control intervention to prevent fatal outcomes.
“Necrotising fasciitis is one of the worst, most aggressive infections that affects skin and deeper tissues,” – Rahul Chakrabarti, a medical expert.
After finally getting the right diagnosis at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Phillips received emergency surgery. The treatment required immediate enucleation, removal of his left eye. It involved grafting skin over the cavity to recreate his face.
Life After the Incident
Life after surgery
Ian Phillips had been in complete control of his life. Though his peripheral vision is now greatly diminished, he still deals with the emotional trauma of his injury. He shares how he is losing hope and doesn’t see a future for himself.
“I don’t know. I feel like I’m dying,” – Ian Phillips.
The emotional toll goes deeper than his physical injuries. Phillips explained that when he walks around in public, he’s used to people examining him.
“It’s always in the back of my mind. Every day you meet new people, and some people are a bit more curious than others about wanting to know what happened,” – Ian Phillips added.
In hindsight, his spokesperson Shari Liby made clear that with immediate medical attention it would have been a very different story.
“Our experts say that even 24 hours after he presented at the hospital, if they’d given him appropriate antibiotics that all of this would never have happened,” – Shari Liby.
Despite facing major changes to his life post-surgery, Ian Phillips approaches each day with purpose. His story illustrates how quickly what would otherwise be a minor injury can turn into a major health disaster when diagnosis and treatment are delayed.
