Failure to Diagnose and Treat Infections / Sepsis
Sepsis is a term that describes a severe illness caused by infection in the body. Often referred to as a systemic illness, the infection spreads throughout the body via the bloodstream. Although the original source of the infection can be undeterminable, it may begin from otherwise moderately benign infections such as pneumonia, an open bedsore (decubitus ulcer), or a urinary tract infection.
Left untreated, this systemic infection can be lethal. Generally, a patient who develops an infection is at risk, if it goes untreated, for sepsis. Initially, a patient may only experience the symptoms of a localized infection (for example, in the case of an open pressure ulcer/bed sore, the wound may be inflamed and reddened). Thereafter, as the infection spreads beyond the local area, a patient can experience such symptoms as a fever, whole body chills, and even a change in neurological function. Lastly, most ominously, a patient’s body will exhibit signs of shock and dysfunction including extremely low blood pressure (hypotension), shock, and organ failure.
Many studies indicate that to make a diagnosis of the clinical syndrome sepsis, at least two of the following four symptoms must be present: (1) elevated white blood cell count; (2) elevated pulse; (3) elevated breathing rate; and (4) temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Other symptoms commonly associated with sepsis include shaking/chills; vomiting; diffuse body pain; and abnormal behavior/neurological abnormalities. A change in mental status and elevated breathing rate may be among the earliest signs of sepsis that should alert a health care provider of this potential ongoing process. Bruising and bleeding are also common signs of sepsis.
Unfortunately, deaths related to untreated or undiagnosed sepsis are becoming all too common. Sadly, many of these deaths occur even while a patient is being monitored in a hospital’s intensive care unit.
By and large, medical malpractice cases arising out of death due to sepsis stem from the healthcare provider’s failure to diagnose an underlying infection and/or properly interpret the signs and symptoms that strongly indicate that infection is becoming systemic in nature.
These injuries and deaths are preventable in most instances by vigilance from the health care providers, including doctors, nurses, residents, technicians, and other caregivers.
If you or a loved one has been affected by the failure to diagnose and treat sepsis or negligence resulting in sepsis, it is critical to have an informed, detail-oriented, and dedicated medical malpractice attorney who will tirelessly advocate for you and your case. Please contact Andrew G. Slutkin and Ethan S. Nochumowitz at SIlverman Thompson for a free consultation, toll-free, at 800-385-2243.