https://www.medlegal360.com/hospital-acquired-infection/
When hospitals become the breeding grounds
for infections, there arise medical malpractice lawsuits. Mainly patients in
hospital wards and intensive care units (ICUs) may contract Hospital-Acquired
Infections (HAIS). If uncared, hospital-acquired infections can lead to
loss of life. Along with that, it will add lengthy hospital stays, emotional
distress, additional hospital expenses, medical
malpractice lawsuits, and a financial burden on the medical care facilities
and the government.
A Hospital-Acquired Infection or
Healthcare-Associated Infection happens when an individual contracts an
infection within 48 to 72 hours of being hospitalized, according to the NCBI.
Around 1.7 million people are infected with HAIs and approximately 99,000
people lose their lives to them in the U.S every year. These nosocomial
infections can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
The most dangerous hospital-acquired
infections are as follows:
•
Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections
(CAUTI)
•
Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections
(CLABSI)
•
Surgical Site Infections (SSI)
•
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP)
•
Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP)
•
Clostridium Difficile Infections (CDI)
•
Septic shock
Though most hospitals follow their own
sanitation-related protocols, sometimes, infections can occur due to the
negligence of the healthcare providers or the patients. If it is proved that
the healthcare professionals’ carelessness caused the health complications or
death to the patients, the patients or their families can proceed with a
medical malpractice lawsuit or wrongful
death claim.
To prove the negligence in a medical
malpractice claim, you should have proper medical documentation
to point out the medical
error that occurred on the part of the healthcare facility. Expert witness statements
can boost your claim against the facility.
In hospitals and clinics, infections
acquired in the healthcare setting are not uncommon. Early detection and
management of hospital-acquired
infections can help to prevent them. The most common causes of
hospital-acquired infections are patients' failure to maintain personal
hygiene, unsanitary conditions in and around the facility, and staff failed to
provide the standard of care.
hospitalacquiredinfection
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