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Kentucky Failure to Administer Antibiotics Lawyers
Experienced representation for birth injury victims in Kentucky
At Crandall & Pera Law, our lawyers work with medical experts to show that your doctors failed to administer antibiotics in a proper and safe manner or prescribed antibiotics that were unsafe. Our Kentucky failure to administer antibiotics lawyers understand how doctors should manage infections during pregnancy and during labor and delivery. We demand full compensation for all the harm that improper antibiotic practices cause. Call us today to discuss your medical malpractice rights.
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Table of Contents
- What are antibiotics?
- When are antibiotics considered safe during a pregnancy?
- What antibiotics are considered unsafe during pregnancy?
- How should doctors evaluate when and how to use antibiotics during pregnancy or delivery?
- How to handle infections during pregnancy?
- Do you have a Kentucky lawyer near me?
What are antibiotics?
Antibiotics are strong life-saving medications that are used when patients/mothers have bacterial infections. Antibiotics are not useful for viral infections or for bacterial infections that your body can handle on its own. According to the Cleveland Clinic, antibiotics generally work by killing bacteria or stopping bacteria from multiplying.
When patients take antibiotics, doctors and pharmacists should explain how long they should take them, how many to take, and whether they should take them with food. Patients normally receive instructions to take all the antibiotics their doctors prescribe.
Antibiotics come in three forms. Mothers may receive antibiotic prescriptions during their pregnancy. Doctors may administer antibiotics during labor and delivery. The different forms are as follows:
- Oral antibiotics. Patients take these tablets or capsules by mouth with liquids.
- Topical antibiotics. Patients apply these antibiotics to their skin or put drops into their ears or eyes.
- Injections and intravenous (IV) antibiotics. Medical providers inject these antibiotics into the mother’s muscle or use an IV that is inserted into a mother’s vein.
When are antibiotics considered safe during a pregnancy?
According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors always use antibiotics during a C-section. During pregnancy, doctors need to be careful about which antibiotics they prescribe and which antibiotics may be dangerous for the mother and/or the fetus.
Safe antibiotics, according to the Mayo Clinic, to take during pregnancy generally include the following:
- Penicillins, including amoxicillin (Amoxil, Larotid) and ampicillin.
- Cephalosporins, including cefaclor and cephalexin.
- Clindamycin (Cleocin, Clinda-Derm, others).
- Metronidazole (Flagyl, Metrogel, others).
According to Very Well Health:
- Expectant mothers may need to take a higher penicillin dose or take the standard dose more often.
- Doctors often prescribe cephalosporins for patients who cannot take penicillin. “Note that Rocephin is associated with risks to the developing fetus, including heart malformations and brain damage.”
- Vancomycin is generally administered through the IV method (though patients can take it by mouth). “Although IV vancomycin does cross the placenta, it's generally thought to be safe during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. There is a concern for kidney damage in the fetus.”
- Macrobid (nitrofurantoin) is useful when pregnant women have urinary tract infections (UTIs) - although it is not recommended for use in the third trimester.
What antibiotics are considered unsafe during pregnancy?
One of the concerns about using antibiotics during pregnancy is that the drugs may cross the mother’s placenta and harm the fetus.
Antibiotics that are generally considered unsafe for pregnant women include the following:
- Tetracyclines. These medications can affect a baby’s bone growth and cause a baby's teeth to discolor. Generally, doctors should not prescribe tetracyclines for use after the fifth week of pregnancy.
- Nitrofurantoin (Furadantin). This antibiotic “might raise the risk of cleft lip if given in the first trimester. But it's safe to use in the second and third trimesters.”
Macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin have been linked to heart rhythm conditions and preterm birth in fetuses. But some studies suggest macrolides such as azithromycin may be safe in pregnancy when needed for some sexually transmitted infections, for preterm premature rupture of membranes, and as added therapy for cesarean deliveries after labor has begun. More study is needed."
Very Well Health states that in addition to tetracyclines and macrolides, other antibiotics to avoid during pregnancy include:
- Fluoroquinolones. Examples include Cipro (ciprofloxacin) and Levaquin (levofloxacin). This medication is generally thought to be dangerous for the fetus’s heart, bones, kidneys, and brain – though some studies suggest it “may be safe after the first trimester.”
- Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim). “This antibiotic is often prescribed for UTIs but should be avoided during pregnancy's first and third trimesters. It may cause congenital disabilities, cleft palate, or miscarriage.”
How should doctors evaluate when and how to use antibiotics during pregnancy or delivery?
Very Well Health states that your doctors should consider the following factors when deciding about antibiotic use during pregnancy or delivery:
- Frequency. Nearly 25 percent of pregnant patients receive antibiotic prescriptions. Nearly 80 percent of the medications women receive during pregnancy are prescription antibiotics. Increased antibiotic use does increase the risk of preterm birth.
- Impact. Doctors need to consider which medications are likely to cross the placenta and reach the fetus.
- FDA pregnancy categories. Many drug evaluations by the FDA do not include the safety of the drugs on pregnant women because of concerns that the clinical studies may harm mothers or children.
- The risks. It can be hard to know whether the drug or the underlying infection is causing the harm.
- Gestational age. Different antibiotics are safe/unsafe for different trimesters.
Your gynecologist and pharmacist should explain the advantages, dangers, and side effects of each type of medication they prescribe.
How to handle infections during pregnancy?
Mothers may become sick for a host of reasons – just like nonpregnant people. Some of the bacterial infections that pregnant women may develop include:
- Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs)
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Antibiotics are useful for some, but not all, Your doctor needs to know when to use antibiotics for your type of STI.
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Group B streptococcus.
The failure to diagnose and treat these disorders (depending on the condition) and other disorders such as chicken pox can cause cerebral palsy, brain damage, meningitis, pneumonia, hearing or vision loss, preterm births, scarring, developmental delays, many other serious birth injuries, low birth weight, miscarriages, and death. Our Kentucky birth injury lawyers file medical malpractice claims when these injuries are due to medical negligence.
Antibiotics may also be necessary for Cesarean sections (as mentioned above), fever during labor, and preterm deliveries.
At Crandall & Pera Law, we review with pregnancy and birth delivery doctors whether your healthcare providers failed to:
- Properly diagnose your infection or medical condition and the inherent dangers
- Properly evaluate the benefits, risks, and side effects of the antibiotics that may help
- Fully explain the benefits and disadvantages of each type of antibiotic
- Fully explain to expectant mothers how to take or administer the antibiotics
- Administer the antibiotics properly
- Monitor the health of the mother and baby while the antibiotics are in use
According to Very Well Health, “the immune system is suppressed (less active) during pregnancy. This immune suppression prevents a pregnant person's body from rejecting the fetus.”
Gynecologists and other pregnancy health professionals should review the risk factors for infections with their patients, including:
- Prevention. Good hygiene reduces the risk of infection. Prevention also includes proper food, using bug repellants, and other safety precautions.
- Understanding the symptoms of infections. These include fever, headache, fatigue, or gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea or stomach pain.
- Conducting regular checkups of the health of the mother and the fetus.
Our Kentucky failure to administer antibiotics lawyers demand compensation for all of a mother’s or child’s medical expenses, pain and suffering, income loss, loss of bodily function, inability to enjoy life’s pleasures, and all other financial and personal damages.
Do you have a Kentucky anesthesia error lawyer near me?
Yes. We meet families at our Lexington, Kentucky, office located at 201 E Main St., Suite 530. At Crandall & Pera Law, we also speak with clients by phone and through online video consultations. If your birth or maternal injuries prevent you from coming to our office, we can make alternate arrangements to see you.
We understand your anxiety. We’re here to guide you through this difficult time.
Get help from our experienced Kentucky birth injury lawyers now
At Crandall & Pera Law, we understand the unique challenges involved in antibiotic administration claims. Our medical malpractice lawyers work with doctors, drug specialists, and others to help show that your doctors failed to administer antibiotics and diagnose and treat infections in a proper manner. Call our Kentucky failure to administer antibiotics attorneys or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We handle maternal and newborn injury claims on a contingency fee basis.