Hospitals are where people go to get their healthcare needs taken care of, on both an emergency and routine basis. Societally, we trust that the hospital is the safest place for the seriously injured or sick. This makes it somewhat paradoxical that these facilities can also, by their very nature, be a convergence point for all sorts of viruses, transmissible diseases, and harmful bacteria. While rare, hospital-acquired infections do occur and can have life-changing impacts.
While contracting an infection might seem like just an unfortunate, random event, infection outbreaks in hospitals can actually permanently injure patients. Infections unexpectedly contracted in a hospital setting, when undiagnosed or untreated, can lead to:
- Organ damage or failure
- Long-term illness
- Extended hospital stays and mounting medical bills
- Exacerbation of the very medical issue patients went in for treatment of
- Severe pain and discomfort
- Coma or even death in extreme cases
Healthcare-associated infections impact one in 31 hospital patients. It can be frustrating to deal with an infection, leaving you to seek additional care with entirely new treaters and clinics that focus on infection care. Amid all of this stress and discomfort, the patients must also still contend with the recovery process.
Infection Control Failures in Michigan Hospitals
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities have strict rules for maintaining cleanliness and ensuring the regular disinfection of patient facilities. There is a reason for the protocols and focus. When infection outbreaks occur in hospitals, results can be disastrous.
Legal regulations and hospital policies are not the only sources of sanitation and infection control guidelines. In Michigan, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan Society for Infection Prevention and Control, and the Michigan Health & Hospital Association are only a few of the organizations that promote safe hospital environments.
The variety of different issues and outcomes that can potentially be caused by infection outbreaks on hospital campuses is as varied as the number of different infectious diseases and associated symptoms. Pneumonia is one of the most common illnesses, with 51% of patients with a hospital-acquired infection having pneumonia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 32% of all healthcare-acquired infections are urinary tract infections.
The control of infectious outbreaks in hospitals is not in any way a speculative or theoretical field, even discounting the anomalous COVID-19 period. Many Michigan media outlets have reported recently, for example, on a drug-resistant fungus that has been spreading throughout some area hospitals, which can wreak havoc in hospital patients whose immune systems may already be compromised or overworked.
If you or a loved one has an injury of this nature, you may have questions. Michigan’s malpractice laws allow you to choose dedicated legal representation to help you investigate your rights in court and potentially seek justice for those injuries.
A dedicated Ann Arbor nurse malpractice attorney from the firm of Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, can help you:
- Gather, organize, and correctly file all of the evidence necessary for supporting the key elements of your hospital malpractice claim.
- Get fast, honest, straightforward answers to your burning legal questions.
- Determine the potential value of your medical malpractice claim and build a strategy to pursue your claim effectively.
- Use medical malpractice laws to obtain the resources your family needs to make ends meet so that you can concentrate on healing.
FAQs About Michigan Hospital-Acquired Infections
What Kind of Reparations Are Available for Hospital-Acquired Infections?
The reparations for hospital-acquired infections are based on the actual amount of legally compensable damages that can be proven, much like in any other civil case for personal injuries. Resolution may instead be based on actual damages such as hospital bills, medication costs, and even future damages.
For personalized, powerful medical malpractice solutions in Michigan, contact Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, today.
Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, Michigan’s Preferred Hospital Malpractice Attorneys
If you have been injured while hospitalized by no fault of your own while staying in a hospital, you may be in need of answers. We can help. Contact the Ann Arbor firm of Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, today to make an appointment for a totally confidential consultation and find out more about how we can help you get the answers you need.
