Are Hospitals Liable for Nosocomial Infection?

Are hospitals liable for nosocomial infection?

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Question:

My teen-aged son caught a bad strain of pneumonia during a recent hospital stay and had to be hospitalized again (in another hospital) due to complications. The second stay is becoming costly and I want to know whether I can bring a malpractice suit against the first hospital.

Answer:

The pneumonia your son contracted from the first hospital is a nosocomial infection, also known as a hospital-acquired infection. A nosocomial infection is a clinically-diagnosed infection that is not part of the condition that first brought the patient to the hospital.

Hospital-acquired pneumonia is the second leading nosocomial infection and usually occurs 48 to 72 hours after the patient's admittance to a hospital. Some nosocomial infections occur when hospital personnel do not wash their hands or sterilize equipment between patients. Bacterial infections can also be passed from contagious patients.

Hospital Liability

Hospitals are responsible for assuring their staff members take precautions to minimize the chance of passing an infection to patients. They should also sequester infectious patients so that their contagion is not passed on to others. If your son contracted his pneumonia from a hospital, a medical malpractice attorney can help you determine liability and establish a claim against the offending hospital.

Talk to a Medical Malpractice Lawyer to find out more about what you can do to demand compensation from the hospital for their negligent treatment.

References:

Hospital Infections and Medical Negligence

Posted by Sharon Cullars on 12 Apr 2010

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