NJ Medical Malpractice Lawyers Fight to Get You Compensation for Surgical Infection Injuries & Post Surgical Errors

While hospitals are supposed to be sterile environments, often they are breeding grounds for infections. These spaces need to be sterilized in order to avoid becoming harbors for harmful bacteria and dangerous viruses. Medical care providers have a responsibility to ensure that hospitals are clean and sanitary. This is especially true of surgical environments, where patients are at their most vulnerable and exposed.

If you suffered a surgical infection due to a hospital’s failure to follow surgical or post-surgical protocols, speak to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer who will hold the medical facility responsible for your injuries.

Post-Surgical Infections Are Often Caused by Hospital Negligence

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 1.7 million hospital-acquired infection cases in the US each year, with nearly 100,000 patients dying each year from hospital-acquired infections. Some of the more common types of surgical infections include:

• Surgical site infection: The CDC defines a surgical infection as an infection occurring in the area of the body where surgery took place. This typically develops within 30 days of the medical procedure. Failure to properly monitor a patient can lead to this type of infection.
• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): Persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to acquire a staph infection.
• Bloodstream infections: Hospital mix-ups and improper sterilization techniques can lead to a patient contracting a disease such as HIV, AIDS, hepatitis A, tuberculosis or SARS in their bloodstream.
• Sepsis: A whole body inflammation, sometimes called systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).
• Respiratory system infections
• Clostridium difficile or C-diff: C-diff can cause a gastrointestinal illness.
• Viral infections
• Urinary tract infections: A urinary tract infection (UTI) typically affects a person’s bladder and urethra.
• Meningitis
• Streptococcus pneumonia: When bacteria and viruses cause an inflammation of the lungs, the result can be deadly. This is often associated with ventilator problems.

When a hospital fails to follow surgical protocols, the result can be a post-surgical infection. Examples of negligence that can lead to surgical infections include:

• Failed to sterilize the surgical site
• Improper sterilization of medical instruments
• Hospital staff members neglect to wash their hands
• Shaving before surgery: If the hospital staff needs to remove hair on the patient prior to surgery, the use of a razor can cause tiny cuts that are prone to infection.
• Failed to administer antibiotic: Doctors should administer an antibiotic in the hour immediately preceding surgery.
• Improper tubing: This can lead to a central-line associated blood stream infection (CLABSI).
• Misdiagnosis of infection after surgery: The doctor needs to accurately diagnose a post-surgical infection in order to effectively treat it.
• Failure to change patient’s catheter: Prolonged use of a catheter can cause a urinary tract infection.
• Failure to properly monitor: The doctor should follow-up with the patient during the recovery period to ensure that the patient is responding well to treatment.

Speak to a NJ Medical Malpractice Lawyer at Lombardi and Lombardi, P.A. for Free

Prior to undergoing surgery, you may have signed paperwork declaring your awareness of the potential risks of surgery. However, this waiver of liability applies only to unpreventable exposure. If your doctor’s negligence contributed to your contraction of an infection, you may have a viable claim for medical malpractice. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer can evaluate your case and create a timeline of events to determine the strength of your medical negligence claim.

Contact the experienced New Jersey surgical infection lawyers of Lombardi and Lombardi, P.A., For more than 35 years, our firm has been providing exceptional representation to clients and their families in Middlesex, Ocean, and Monmouth counties. We are a results-oriented firm that has secured more than $400 million in settlements and verdicts for our clients. Call us at 732-906-1500 or simply contact us online to schedule a consultation at one of our offices in Freehold, Brick, or Edison.

There are no upfront fees for medical negligence claims. We only get paid after we win your case.