What are signs of hospital-acquired infections?

As the name implies, hospital-acquired infections are infections that are picked up while someone is in a hospital undergoing treatment for an unrelated issue. Unfortunately, these infections are often deadly. Additionally, they can result in serious liability for hospitals, which should constantly be working to limit the impact of such infections. There are laws covering these issues in all states, and Ohio is no exception.

What are the signs of hospital-acquired infections?

Hospital-acquired infections can result in medical malpractice claims against the health care institution. Signs of these diseases include getting an illness like meningitis, pneumonia, an infected surgical site, or a urinary tract infection. These are all relatively common. Infection is also likely to come with a set series of symptoms, including a fever, discharge near a wound or surgical site, coughing, pain, discomfort, difficulty breathing, and other adverse reactions.

Furthermore, for an infection to be considered hospital-acquired, it must not have been present in the individual in question until their hospitalization. Its diagnosis must have occurred within 48 hours of being admitted to a hospital, three days after being discharged, or 30 days after an operation.

Hospital-acquired infections are all too common, with your odds of getting one ranging from 6% to 29%, according to some studies. The odds of getting this infection will rise and fall depending on a variety of factors, such as whether or not you are admitted to an ICU if you are sharing a room with other patients, and the strength of your own immune system.