Philadelphia Postoperative Infections Attorney

Hospitals have a reputation as sterile environments, but increasing evidence indicates that many hospitals and other healthcare facilities actually harbor various types of bacteria and viruses that are harmful to patients, particularly those recovering from surgery. The CDC estimates that in 2011 alone, there were 722,000 hospital-acquired infections in the United States, leading to over 75,000 deaths.

The contraction of a postoperative infection can significantly increase your recovery time or contribute to additional medical complications. If you believe you contracted a postoperative infection due to negligent medical care, our Philadelphia postoperative infection attorneys at Golomb Legal, may be able to help you pursue the financial compensation you deserve and need as you rehabilitate.

can you sue if you get an infection after surgery?

Before undergoing a surgical procedure, you likely signed paperwork indicating that you were aware of the potential risks, including the chance of infection. While these forms may protect medical professionals in circumstances involving unpreventable exposure, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim if a healthcare provider's actions caused or raised your risk for contracting an infection. In addition, the medical facility and attending healthcare provider could also be held accountable for resulting harm if an infection was misdiagnosed, improperly treated, or overlooked.

Common postoperative infections

Common postoperative infections that are the result of medical negligence include:

What are Causes of Postoperative Infections?

There are numerous reasons why a patient could contract a dangerous and life-threatening postoperative infection. After surgery, doctors and nurses have a responsibility to monitor the surgical site closely and watch for signs of infection, increased drainage, or discoloration. Failure to monitor patients closely after surgery is one of the main causes of postoperative infections.

Other causes include:

• Unsterilized surgical tools
• Unclean or unsterile bandages
• Failure to change wound dressing
• Unsterile conditions in operating room
• Wrong medications prescribed after surgery
• Failure to diagnose or treat infection quickly
• Leaving a foreign body inside of the patient

What are Signs of a Postoperative Infection?

When an infection begins, the body begins to exhibit several telltale signs. Surgeons, doctors, and nurses are trained to recognize these signs quickly and take the appropriate actions to prevent the spread of the infection and the worsening of the patient’s condition. If a post-surgical infection is not identified and treated quickly, it could spiral into a life-threatening condition.

Signs of a post-surgical infection include:

• Increased heart rate
• Increased respirations
• Increased temperature
• Chills or seizures
• Abnormal white blood cell counts
• Pus draining from surgical site
• Redness or warmth around surgical site
• Swelling around surgical site
• Pain in extremity or abdomen or around surgery site
• Increase in wound drainage
• Increased fatigue

Complications from Postoperative Infections

When trusted medical providers fail to follow high standards of care, such as taking proper sterilization precautions or re-using equipment, patients can suffer the consequences. Infections can lead to lengthy hospital stays, threaten limbs and vital organs, cause tissue necrosis, and even lead to death.

Some procedures have a higher risk than others for causing postoperative infections to develop. In particular, abdominal surgeries carry a great risk of infection-as high as 20% of all cases, compared to 11% for other types of surgeries.

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If you or someone you love contracted an infection following surgery or hospitalization and you believe that medical negligence was the reason, you may be able to file a lawsuit.