Hospital-acquired infections can be fatal

Residents of Ohio go to a hospital to get better, not incur more illnesses. Unfortunately, this routinely occurs in the course of providing health care. Hospital-acquired infections, or HAIs, happen more frequently with certain at-risk factors, one of which is the type of procedure administered to the patient. One such procedure where the chance of an HAI is increased is the use of a catheter, which has direct contact with a patient’s bloodstream and can result in urinary tract infections. It is exacerbated if the patient’s immune system is already in a weakened state.

What are the risks of an HAI?

Regrettably, some infections are very serious and can cause the patient to become septic and die. These deadlier infections typically occur with cases of hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia. The outcomes of these infections have a poor prognosis for the patient. In addition, risk factors such as length of hospital stay, underlying conditions and devices that remain in the patient’s body, such as a PICC line, can increase the risk of virulent infections.

Did you receive an acquired infection during your hospitalization?

While the health care community has taken measures to halt the occurrences of HAIs, the issue still remains a problem. If you acquired an infection in a health care facility, then you should talk to an attorney to determine whether hospital negligence led to your illness. Your health care provider may not have given you all the information you needed to help you determine the source of the infection. In fact, it’s in their best interest to conceal that information.

If you entered a hospital and your condition worsened under a doctor’s care, you likely have many questions. A medical malpractice attorney may be able to answer your questions and determine whether negligence occurred.