Wrongful Death Lawyer
Wrongful death lawyers who handle medical malpractice lawsuits often encounter cases arising out of delayed diagnosis of sepsis. Sepsis is a serious medical condition that occurs when infection-fighting chemicals released in the bloodstream by the body cause inflammation. This inflammation can lead to organ damage, organ failure, or even death. Blood clotting may also develop which reduces blood flow throughout the body and strips the organs of nutrients and oxygen. Common symptoms of sepsis include trouble breathing, low blood pressure, an accelerated heart rate, fever, and confusion. In severe cases, this infection can lead to septic shock which is life-threatening and requires emergency medical care immediately; septic shock can lead to kidney, lung, and liver failure quickly and can even cause death.
Sepsis occurs for many reasons, including poor sterilization of the surgical site or medical equipment such as ventilators and catheters and other inadequate infection control measures in the hospital setting. A septic infection has 3 stages of severity with septic shock being the most severe. In the first stage, sepsis is usually treatable if diagnosed quickly. For a sepsis diagnosis doctors look at the patient’s body temperature to determine if it’s above 101F or below 96.8F, their heart rate to see if it’s higher than 90 BPM, and their respiratory rate to ascertain if it’s higher than 20 breaths/minute. Lastly, they confirm whether an infection is plausible for the patient in question. Doctors can misdiagnose sepsis when the investigation is insufficient, i.e., medical negligence, and include a thorough physical assessment, review of systems, risk factors and past medical history.
Misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, or lack of treatment are common causes of medical negligence that can result in a wrongful death lawsuit. A recent wrongful death case involved a new mother who passed away after receiving no treatment for her diagnosed sepsis. She was released from the hospital after giving birth but quickly came back with a fever and nausea. The young woman underwent blood tests which showed she had a septic infection. The nurse practitioner working with her did not prescribe any antibiotics or medications and sent the woman home without administering any treatment. She returned 12 hours later, but by that time it was too late and the young mother died a few days later. Her husband was allocated $20 million in his wrongful death lawsuit.
If you or a loved one has suffered because of a health care provider’s negligence in dealing with a blood infection, contact a medical malpractice lawyer, like a medical negligence lawyer in Cleveland, OH from Mishkind Kulwicki Law Co, L.P.A., immediately. Seeking compensation in a wrongful death case can be both stressful and complicated. Your attorney can conduct a thorough investigation and determine if you have cause for filing a lawsuit.
