Pressure Sores, Sepsis and Death
If your loved one has died after developing a hospital acquired infection, you could be entitled to pursue a medical negligence claim on behalf of their estate. Although this can never undo the bereavement you have suffered, it will help to provide some form of redress. Contact us today to find out more.
Hospital acquired pressure sores
Hospital patients are particularly vulnerable to developing pressure sores. This is because most will have one or more of the risk factors that increase the likelihood of a pressure sore, such a limited mobility, poor circulation and underlying health conditions.
Hospital staff are supposed to implement measures to protect patients against pressure sores. For example, if a patient is at risk, he/she should be placed on a pressure reliving mattress and their pressure areas monitored closely.
A patient should also be encouraged to change position regularly, or if mobility is reduced, nursing staff should turn the patient at frequent intervals. This will prevent a patient remaining in the same position for prolonged periods of time.
Pressure sores and medical negligence
What should not happen is for a patient to be left sitting or lying in the same place for hours, or even days, on end. Sadly this does happen, as nursing staff sometimes neglect to turn a patient or even examine their pressure areas.
As a result of such negligent nursing care, it is possible that a patient will develop a pressure sore. Because the tissue is not being regularly examined, the pressure sore will be left untreated and will consequently become increasingly severe.
Pressure sores and sepsis
An untreated pressure sore is very troubling. This is because it provides bacteria with the opportunity to enter the body, causing a patient to contract an infection. The bacteria can quickly spread to the bloodstream, leading to sepsis.
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition and can prompt the body to go into septic shock and organ failure. This would make anyone acutely unwell, and for hospital patients who already have underlying health problems, sepsis can be too much to overcome.
If a patient dies because a pressure sore has become septic, there will be a substandard level of medical care.
Claiming for pressure sore deaths
If you loved one was subject to substandard medical care, causing him/her to develop a fatal pressure sore, please get in touch with us today. We can advise you upon your options, explaining whether you could be entitled to pursue a claim on behalf of your loved one's estate.
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