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Hospital Infections
Infections contracted in hospitals are the fourth largest killer in the United States. One out of every twenty hospital patients gets an infection. Many hospital infections are preventable. Improvements in intravenous catheter use, compliance with pre-surgical best practices, and better medical hygiene can significantly reduce the risk of infection.
Infection can cause both significant and minor medical conditions to become more severe, even resulting in death. Thus, when a patient contracts an infection in the hospital, it is necessary to examine the initial cause for admission, the risk of contracting an infection for that type of patient, and the steps taken by the hospital to reduce exposure to infectious agents. Infection cases must be thoroughly investigated to determine the hospital’s method for preventing infection, whether preventive protocols were properly followed, and whether physicians were properly monitoring the use and administration of antibiotics. The thoroughness of all sterilization techniques also needs to be investigated. Situations can occur wherein hospital negligence did not contribute to the development of patient infection; however, medical staff may still be considered “at fault” for any delay in diagnosing and treating infection.
To prove that malpractice caused or contributed to a hospital infection, it must be established that either the hospital in question had not developed proper protocols for preventing infection, or that they failed to properly follow those protocols. Further, the failure must fall beyond “reasonable error,” meaning that normal and practical methods for either sterility or treatment were ignored, resulting in demonstrable injury to the patient.
If you would like to discuss your legal options, contact us online or call us at (216) 685-9991 to set up a FREE consultation.
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