Healthcare facilities are often where sick people go and there tends to be a higher concentration of germs and other contagions. In addition to breathing the air and coming into contact with surfaces, people receiving treatment at medical facilities can have their skin opened for a procedure which provides an even greater opportunity for an infection.
A healthcare-acquired Infection (HAI) is an infection that you got while you were a patient at a healthcare facility. If you acquired the infection as the result of a mistake made by a healthcare professional while at the facility and you suffered damage as a result, you may have a claim for medical malpractice. A Philadelphia sepsis or infection attorney skilled in HAIs can review your case and determine if you can recover from your injuries.
Sepsis is the body’s dangerous over-response to an infection. Sepsis can develop in response to any type of infection but is typically caused by bacterial infections.
When the body detects an infection it triggers an immune response – like sending in the good guys to fight the bad guys. Normally this is exactly what should happen and once the good guys beat the bad guys there is no more fighting.
However, in some people, the immune response goes kind of haywire and the good guys start fighting other good guys creating widespread inflammation in the body. The situation can become very serious very fast. Vital organs become damaged and begin to shut down. And in extreme cases, blood pressure drops and death often follows.
It’s not known why the immune response goes crazy but certain people seem to be more susceptible to the development of Sepsis. Persons who are more likely to develop Sepsis are those with weaker immune systems such as:
If you have recently received treatment from a healthcare facility you will want to monitor yourself closely for any signs or symptoms that you may have contracted an infection during your treatment. It’s possible that you might not even realize you have an infection until you start to experience some of the warning signs of Sepsis.
Sepsis is considered a medical emergency. If you experience any of the following it is recommended that you get medical attention immediately.
If you received treatment at a medical facility and you believe that you were exposed to an HAI that resulted in infection or Sepsis, you may have a claim in Philadelphia for medical malpractice. In order to recover from your injuries, you will need to show that somewhere during your experience a process or procedure was not followed that should have been and as a result, you developed an infection.
At The Weitz Firm, LLC, we go over each and every encounter you had with a medical facility and we know how to find out what went wrong and who is responsible. Contact one of our Philadelphia sepsis or infection lawyers for a free consultation of your case by clicking here or calling 267-587-6240.
We are highly selective in the cases we undertake to ensure that can give each client his full attention. You can schedule an appointment for a personal injury consultation at our Philadelphia office by calling us, or by filling out our online intake form.
