If a patient develops a postoperative infection, can the patient's doctor or the hospital be held liable? If the infection was the result of negligence, the patient can sue the doctor or hospital for medical malpractice.
Whenever a person has surgery, they are at risk of a surgical site infection (SSI), which occurs on the part of the body where the surgery was performed. When people have surgery, their risk of developing an SSI is about 1 to 3 percent, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
The signs and symptoms of a SSI, include:
- Pus (purulent discharge) that comes from inside the wound.
- An abscess surrounded by inflammation.
What causes postoperative infections? Unfortunately, germs called microorganisms, such as the bacteria Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas can infect the surgical wound through various types of contact, such as from a contaminated surgical instrument or a contaminated caregiver, or from bacteria floating in the air at a hospital.
Surgical Infections Caused by Negligence
If the surgical wound became infected after a procedure, it is possible that the infection was not caused by your body's natural reaction, but from medical negligence.
Sometimes, surgical infections occur because of unsanitary instruments, medical staff that did not wash their hands before a procedure, or unsanitary conditions in the medical facility.
If this is what occurred in your case, it is possible that the doctor or hospital, or both, may be held responsible for the infection that developed after the surgery.
If it can be proven that the doctor or hospital was responsible for what happened to you, you may be able to obtain damages for: 1) medical bills incurred while treating the infection, 2) lost income, 3) pain and suffering you endured from the infection, 4) emotional distress, and 5) punitive damages.
If a postoperative infection caused your loved one's death, you may want to file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages. To learn more about postoperative infections, contact a medical malpractice attorney.