Medical Malpractice and MRSA
Hospitals offer the best hope for the seriously ill or injured to receive the medical assessment and treatment that is necessary to protect their health and to prevent an untimely passing. At least that is what patients are counting on in the time of urgent health needs. They trust that the extensive training and strict professional oversight require of the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals will be enough to limit or eliminate the potential for adverse health effects to arise. But medical malpractice is a too frequent occurrence and stands as serious threat to patient safety. The recent increase in the prevalence of dangerous bacteria, include Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
Bacterial organisms are found all around us in almost any setting. Fortunately, the human body has adapted to this environment, otherwise survival would be an almost unlikely prospect. There are other bacteria, though, that when they infect a person can cause serious and even deadly illnesses. As the name implies, MRSA has evolved a resistance to antibiotic treatments that would typically be used. Consequently, infections that could otherwise be treated and cured have become incurable and potentially life-threatening. Stunningly, hospitals are the most common site at which MRSA infections are contracted.
Preventable Pain
The prevalence of MRSA infections in hospital patients is disturbing because they could be so readily prevented through adherence to rigid sanitization procedures and caution on the part of hospital workers. Because the patients in the hospital are already ill, their immune systems are more susceptible to these infections and they should not have to suffer because of healthcare worker neglect. Surgical patients and individuals who are recovering from surgery are at a high risk of infection because of the open wounds that are healing. Despite this, however, MRSA rates remain unacceptably high.
There always exists the threat of some complications when one undergoes a surgical procedure or medical treatment regime, but when a reasonable standard of care is not met and patients suffer due to those failures, then the responsible parties must be held accountable. MRSA can cause intensely painful skin infections and may facilitate the development of deadly conditions including sepsis and toxic shock syndrome, among others. Some potential causes are:
* Improper sterilization of surgical tools and medical devices
* Inadequate personal hygiene on the part of doctors and nurses
* Lack of proper cleaning and sanitization in hospital rooms and hallways
Take a Stand
If you or your loved one has been the victim of a MRSA infection acquired in a hospital, contact the Phoenix medical malpractice lawyers of Haralson, Miller, Pitt, Feldman & McAnally, P.L.C.
Joseph Devine
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Devine
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