Hospital-Acquired Infections: Can You Sue for Negligence?
A hospital-acquired infection (HAI) can be the byproduct of a patient’s underlying health concern, but it can also be the result of medical negligence. To file a successful medical negligence claim, you must know how to distinguish between the two. And our experienced Cherry Hill medical negligence attorneys at Ginsberg & O’Connor have the knowledge and skill you’re looking for.
Hospital-Acquired Infections Defined
Hospital-acquired infections, also called healthcare-associated infections, refer to infections that develop while the patient is in the hospital or medical facility. This means that the infection wasn’t present before the patient’s admission.
Ultimately, medical treatment carries inherent risks, and infections are one of them. And there are specific health concerns that leave some patients more susceptible to dangerous infections, including having a compromised immune system or a chronic health concern like diabetes.
Medical negligence applies to HAI cases only when a medical facility or provider fails to follow established sanitization protocols.
The burden of proof, when it comes to proving medical negligence in your HAI case, lies with you as the injured patient. This makes having professional legal counsel from the outset best practice.
Post-Surgical Infections
Post-surgical infections are a very common form of HAI, and all the following are forms of medical negligence that are closely associated:
- Failing to sterilize the surgical site on the patient adequately
- Failing to sterilize the surgical equipment used properly
- Shaving the patient roughly before surgery, such as without the proper lubrication, can leave them more vulnerable to infection
- Failing to administer the antibiotics prescribed before surgery, which are called preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis
- Using improper tubing, which can cause a central-line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI)
- Failing to diagnose a post-surgery infection or misdiagnosing it
- Failing to wash hands in accordance with careful sanitation guidelines for those medical providers who participate in the surgical procedure
- Failure to properly monitor the patient following surgery to determine how well they are responding to treatment, which includes assessing for infections
- Failing to change the patient’s catheter as often as required or inserting it roughly or incorrectly, which can lead directly to infection
When Negligence Applies
If the medical facility or provider failed to implement the medical standard of care regarding sanitization, medical negligence likely applies to the HAI case. If the patient develops a dangerous HAI because of a deviation from these standards, the patient can seek compensation for covered losses in a medical negligence claim. Such damages include all the following:
- The related medical bills
- Lost income and lost earning power
- Physical pain and emotional suffering, which can exceed the other forms of loss combined
Our Experienced Cherry Hill Medical Negligence Lawyers Can Help
Our formidable Cherry Hill medical negligence attorneys at Ginsberg & O’Connor dedicate our practice to protecting our clients’ rights as we pursue their rightful compensation. We are on your side and here to help, so please don’t wait to reach out for more information about everything we can do for you by contacting us online or giving our firm a call at 856-727-1991 today.