Atlanta Medical Tool Infection Attorneys

Infection from Improperly Sterilized Tools

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that on any given day in the U.S., one in every 25 patients contracts an infection during the course of a hospital stay. An estimated 722,000 acute care patients developed healthcare-associated infections in a recent year, and 75,000 of those patients died while in the hospital. Among the various types of infections, 157,500 were surgical site infections related to inpatient surgeries.

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Recent Medical Malpractice Verdicts and Settlements

• $2.65 Million - Hospital malpractice - use of improperly sterilized tools.

Click here for more verdicts and settlements.

Hospitals Failing to Sterilize Surgical Instruments

Although a variety of factors may contribute to infections acquired in the hospital, improperly sterilized tools are among the most significant, and particularly the tools and equipment used in surgery. Sterilization destroys micro-organisms on medical devices that contact body tissues and fluids. Failure to sterilize these items can transmit pathogens and disease.

Patients are admitted to hospitals because they need medical assistance with various health conditions – not to acquire life-threatening infections. Hospitals, physicians, and all healthcare providers have a duty to their patients to perform at an acceptable standard of care. Failure to properly sterilize medical equipment is negligence, and injured patients and their families may be entitled to seek compensation for their losses in medical malpractice claims.

If you or your loved one has suffered an infection that you suspect was caused by improperly sterilized medical tools, contact the Grant Law Office as soon as possible. Our Atlanta medical malpractice lawyers have a reputation for success, achieved over our many years of practice. Attorney Wayne Grant is a Board Certified Medical Malpractice Attorney, representing those who have suffered injuries due to medical negligence. Our dedicated legal team has recovered many meaningful settlements and verdicts for injured clients, and can assist you immediately.

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How Do Improperly Sterilized Tools Happen in Hospitals?

Hospitals have protocols in place for sterilizing tools and equipment used in surgery and on patients. When hospital staffs fail to follow the protocol, tools may remain contaminated with tissue and pathogens, which are then transferred to the patients, causing serious infections and disease.

Certain procedures are required for "scrubbing in" before surgery. Doctors, nurses, and medical techs entering operating rooms are required to don facemasks, scrub their hands in the prescribed manner, using specific antibacterial preparations, put on surgical gowns without using their hands, and scrub another time if at any time their hands touch any item. Medical personnel who skimp on or omit these procedures can cause recontamination of previously sterilized instruments.

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You Have the Right to Pursue Compensation

Infections caused by medical tools that have not been sterilized properly can be serious and life-threatening. Hospital-acquired infection can turn a routine medical procedure into the patient’s worst nightmare.

Patients who suffer serious infections after being exposed to improperly sterilized tools have recourse under the law, and have the right to pursue compensation for their injuries. At Grant Law Office, we have been successfully representing medical malpractice victims for more than 30 years. Contact a Georgia personal injury attorney at our office to schedule a free consultation. We will evaluate your situation, and advise you about the potential value of your claim, how long it is predicted to resolve, and answer all of your questions and concerns. Grant Law Office can be reached at (404) 995-3955.

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Additional Information

• Threat of a "Nightmare Superbug" Looms on the Horizon
• Surgical Site Infections: a Real Danger
• Infection Control - Disinfection and Sterilization - CDC
• Infection Prevention & Control - Joint Commission