Surgical Site Infections: a Real Danger

By Grant Law Office on August 31, 2018

Surgery is intended to cure patients, or alleviate their suffering. Unfortunately, there are incidences where negligence on the part of a medical professional or a hospital can cause a patient’s condition to worsen. One of the ways this can happen is when the site where the procedure was performed becomes infected.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common healthcare-associated infection, accounting for 31% of all infections among hospitalized patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 27 million Americans undergo some type of surgery each year, and there are about 500,000 cases of SSI.

Common Causes of Surgical Site Infection

Some of the more common causes of SSIs include the following:

• The use of insufficiently-sterilized tools and supplies.
• Unsterile surgical environment.
• Inadequate surgical team hand preparation.
• Inadequate ventilation of the operating room.
• Insufficient cleaning of surgical site.
• Inadequate post-surgery care. Surgical sites need to be kept clean during the healing process.
• Releasing the patient too early.
• Prolonged duration of surgery.
• Antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Risk Factors

A patient’s pre-surgical condition can play a big part in their risk for contracting an SSI. When a patient exhibits any of the following risk factors, hospital staff need to take extra measures to prevent the occurrence of SSI.

• Age (very young or very old)
• Diabetes
• Nicotine use
• Steroid use
• Compromised immune system (HIV, AIDS, etc.)
• Obesity
• Poor circulation
• Poor nutritional status

When we undergo a surgical procedure, we put the utmost trust in the medical professionals who are in charge of our care. If a physician or member of the surgical team is negligent or reckless in their treatment of a patient, that patient has the right to demand compensation by filing a medical malpractice claim. But, such cases are complicated and involve insurance companies who don’t have the patient’s best interests in mind.

If you have suffered from an SSI, you may be eligible to recover for such losses as pain and suffering, corrective medical bills, scarring and disfigurement, permanent injury, lost wages, and more.

To get the compensation you deserve, it’s important to have the representation of a skilled surgical complication attorney. Atlanta’s Grant Law Office has been successfully representing Georgia medical malpractice clients for over 30 years, and we will put our experience and knowledge to work on your claim. For a free case evaluation, call (404) 995-3955.