Hospital-Acquired Infections as Medical Negligence
Hospital-acquired infections can be a sign one was treated with medical negligence. Learn more here.
Hospitals contain a variety of patients, some injured, some sick. Sometimes, a patient can contract an infection while in the hospital for an unrelated reason. If you or a loved one has suffered due to a hospital-acquired infection, speak to the lawyers at Cardaro & Peek today about medical negligence.
What is Considered a Hospital-Acquired Infection?
Hospital-acquired infections are infections patients contract during their medical or surgical care/treatment. The disease must not have been previously identified before being admitted for care, but acquired while under the healthcare provider’s responsibility. These can be viral, bacterial, or fungal infections that can be caught while in a hospital, clinical office, long-term care, or other healthcare-related settings.
How Hospital-Acquired Infections Can Occur
Some weaker patients may be more susceptible to infections and disease than others, including the elderly and children . However, the hospital or other care settings should take the necessary measures to ensure a sterile and safe environment to prevent infections, such as MRSA . Anything less could be grounds for medical negligence. Other common infections that can develop with improper care include urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, lung infections, and bloodstream infections. Infections spread when objects or people expose another person to the pathogens causing the infections. Inadequate training to hospital staff may cause the transmission of infectious agents to patients. If there are protocols in place to reduce this occurrence, and the protocols weren’t followed, then the hospital staff might be liable for medical negligence.
Consequences of Infection
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that in American hospitals, hospital-acquired infections make up 1.7 million infection cases and contribute to 99,000 related deaths each year. As a result of contracting infections, people receive longer hospital stays, which putting themselves at more risk and incurring higher medical costs. Longer recovery times also mean lost wages if they must stay away from work.
Contact The Law Offices of Cardaro & Peek, LLC Today
Do you believe that you or your loved one has suffered as a result of medical malpractice or medical neglect? You need to talk to an experienced team of local lawyers today.
The lawyers at Cardaro & Peek, LLC have the experience and resources necessary to investigate and litigate all types of medical claims throughout Maryland and Washington D.C. Cardaro & Peek, LLC has medical personnel on staff and has access to nationally recognized, board-certified physicians and other experts, to assist in the investigation, analysis, and prosecution of all types of medical malpractice claims. If you or a loved one have experienced malpractice, give us a call at 410-752-6166. Please visit our website www.cardarolaw.com and follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn for more information.
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