What to Do if You Contract a Hospital-Acquired Infection

Because hospitals are filled with patients suffering from various illnesses, they can be hot spots for disease and infection.

Typically, someone visits a hospital because they have an illness/injury and need treatment to get better. But because hospitals are filled with patients suffering from various illnesses, they can also be hot spots for disease and infection. Unfortunately, this sometimes results in a patient who was admitted into a hospital contracting another illness. In a recent study by the Center for Disease Control (the CDC) it was estimated that, during the one-year study, around 75,000 patients with hospital-acquired infections died during their hospitalizations. 

After learning about HAIs in this article, if you believe that you or a loved one suffered a HAI due to medical malpractice , call our experienced medical malpractice lawyers in Maryland and Washington, D.C. for a FREE consultation.  

Hospital-acquired infections (aka healthcare-associated infections and “HAIs”) are simply infections acquired in a hospital that were not present or incubating at the time of admission to a hospital.  These infections are usually acquired within 48 hours of admission, although the timing can vary. Patients that are seriously injured or sick often have weaker immune systems, increasing the risk of developing this type of infection. Being in a hospital for an extended time also increases a patient’s risk.

Some of the most common HAIs are pneumonia, surgical site infections, gastrointestinal infections, urinary tract infections, and bloodstream infections. Some of the most common germs causing HAIs are  C. difficile , Staphylococcus aureus , Klebsiella ,  E.coli ,  Enterococcus , and  Pseudomonas .  Klebsiella  and  E.coli  in particular have become increasingly resistant to last-resort antibiotics known as carbapenems. Procedures such as intubating or drawing blood are situations where a patient could quickly develop an infection. Bed linens, water systems, and medical devices must be cleaned and sterilized to reduce the risk of patients acquiring an infection. Medical professionals must always wash their hands and use proper protocols when examining patients. The facilities must also be kept clean, and the tools and equipment used should always be sterile.

It’s sometimes challenging to determine liability after a patient has developed a hospital-acquired infection that caused them severe injury or death. If the patient was sick with something else, the first response may be “well, they were just very sick, this was bound to happen.” But that is not always the case. Sometimes a patient’s HAI is caused by surgical errors, patient neglect, poor communication, medication errors (improper antibiotic use is common with HAIs), and other forms of negligence.

To determine liability, a medical malpractice attorney will first investigate to understand the circumstances surrounding the infection. An attorney will determine if the healthcare professionals deviated from the standard of care, contributing to the infection. They will also determine if the infection could have been prevented had the health care providers met the standard of care. Additionally, your attorney will call on expert medical witnesses to back up the claim. These experts can provide professional opinions on whether the hospital staff followed the appropriate medical standards of care. For this reason, it is crucial to obtain experienced medical malpractice attorneys , who have a vast network of medical professionals to consult with and zero in on the important details of your case. At The Law Offices of Cardaro & Peek, we know how complicated any medical malpractice case is and the specific difficulties that come with proving hospital-acquired infections. Contact us today to learn more.

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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