Sepsis Infections Contracted at the Hospital

Did you develop a sepsis infection while at a Texas hospital due to malpractice or unsanitary conditions?

The Dallas personal injury attorneys at Rasansky Law Firm may be able to help you recover the compensation you're owed. Call us today at (214) 651-6100 for a free consultation.

According to the CDC, an estimated 648,000 people in the U.S. develop hospital-acquired infections on a yearly basis. About 75,000 of these infections turn fatal, which is more than twice the number of yearly car accident fatalities. Tragically, many of those illnesses and wrongful deaths can be traced back to simple medical negligence.

Sepsis refers to an infection that has spread aggressively in one's body to the point where organs are being attacked by the victim's own immune system. Sepsis is a bloodstream infection that can spread fast and furn fatal within 48 to 72 hours. This type of infection begin in a number of ways – via a catheter, incubator, feeding tube, an incision, or simply by handling unsanitary hospital equipment and/or door handles, linen, cutlery, etc.

This worrying trend is due, in part, to the negligence of hospitals when it comes to making sure that their environments are adequately cleaned and sterile. Patients coming in to seek medical treatment almost always have weakened immune systems, meaning that hospital-acquired infections are a reasonably foreseeable event and must be mitigated.

Some of the common symptoms of sepsis include:

• Swelling, redness or pain at the infection site
• Fever, chills, and confusion
• High white blood cell count
• Dangerous drop in blood pressure
• Decrease in urination
• Rapid breathing and heart rate

Due to the high fatality rate associated with sepsis, it's imperative that medical professionals treat this as a matter of urgency. Doctors must quickly and accurately diagnose this condition and administer IV antibiotics before the infection spreads to vital organs such as the heart, brain, kidneys and lungs.

Here are some of the factors that contribute to negligence in sepsis cases:

• Failure to take into account a patient’s medical history
• Failure to recognize the symptoms of sepsis
• Failure to treat
• Failure to maintain a sterile hospital environment

Even when sepsis is resolved, it often doesn’t end there. Patients may have to live with the risk of developing blood clots, and may have suffered permanent kidney injury or other irreversible damage to vital organs. Not only do you deserve to be compensated for your actual damages, you deserve to be compensated for any potential future damages as well.

Medical malpractice cases in Texas.

If you or a loved one developed sepsis while in hospital, nursing home, or other medical facility, you may have a valid medical malpractice claim on your hands. Medical malpractice cases in Texas can be complex, but we're happy to evaluate your claims by email or over the phone for no cost to you. In fact, we handle these types of claims exclusively on a no-win no-fee basis.

The damages (compensation) we will pursue on your behalf will go a long way toward reimbursing you for any treatment costs, alleviating psychological pain and suffering, helping you get treatment in the future should you need it, as well as compensating you for any lost wages, pain and suffering, and any other damages related to your injury.

Please give us a call today at (214) 651-6100 to learn more about how we can help get you the justice that you and your family deserve.