When you must go to the hospital, you expect it to be a sterile environment. You do not expect to contract an infection as a result of being hospitalized. But, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “On any given day, about one in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection.” It’s a frightening statistic. If you have suffered a hospital-acquired infection, there is a good chance that medical negligence was involved, and you may be able to recover compensation for your expenses, as well as any lost income, future losses caused by your injury, and non-economic damages such as your pain and suffering.
Surgical Site Infections
Surgical site infections, including those deep inside the body, are often the result of medical negligence such as:
- Use of dirty surgical instruments
- Failure to follow handwashing protocols
- Failure to scrub properly before surgery, cleaning hands and arms up to the elbows
- Failure to prep patient properly including removing hair and prepping skin
Other Common Hospital Infections
Other common, and usually preventable, hospital infections include:
- Bladder, kidney, ureter and/or urethra infections– associated with urinary catheters
- Pneumonia – associated with ventilators
- Bloodstream infections – associated with central line
Device-related infections are often the result of:
- Failure to remove the device as soon as it is no longer needed
- Failure to properly clean devices
- Failure to follow handwashing protocol
If you or someone you love has contracted a hospital-acquired infection, please contact us to be connected to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer in your state.
