Introduction
The medical field has many concerns, and as post-surgical infections blow greatly out of proportion, they have a lot of complications that tremendously delay the patient’s recovery journey. For lawyers handling malpractice claims, it is imperative to understand the intricacies of these infections. The purpose of this article is to delve into the causative factors, consequences, and legal aspects of post-surgical infections with an emphasis on how a review of medical records service might benefit lawyers seeking justice for injured patients.
What Are Post-Surgical Infections?
Definition and Overview
• Surgical Site Infections (SSIs): Post-surgical infections, as they are called, occur when bacteria or any pathogen infect a surgical site causing inflammation and other complications.
• Types of Infections: They can occur in the skin, internal tissues, or in the area surrounding an implanted device.
Common Symptoms
• Redness and swelling, which signify surgical inflammation.
• Severe pain, signalling an anomaly in health.
• Fever is one of the primary characteristic features of any infection.
• Discharge. Fluid formation is a strong indicator towards the likelihood of an infection occurring.
Statistics on Post-Surgical Infections
• Incidence Rate: The CDC states that about 1%-3% of patients that undergo surgery will develop an SSI.
Common Pathogens: These infections are mostly caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Causes of Post-Surgical Infections
Factors Contributing to Infections
Technique of Surgery: Contamination can occur as a result of inadequate surgical procedures.
Protocol of Sterilization: Failure to completely clean the mechanical tools after usage can contaminate other microbes.
Care Given After Surgery: Patients may not obtain the proper instructions for care of the site after surgery, which can lead to increased infections.
Medical Negligence and Infections
Definition of Medical Negligence: Failure to provide the standard of care expected in the medical community.
Indicators of Negligence:
Not cleaning surgical instruments appropriately.
Ignoring protocols concerning protection against infection.
Inadequate education of patients concerning their wounds.
Legal Implications for Attorneys
Understanding Medical Malpractice
What Counts as Malpractice: An act of malpractice takes place when a medical practitioner’s negligence hurts a patient.
Establishing Negligence: Attorneys need to prove the attended physician did not meet the acceptable standard of medicine.
Role of Medical Records Review Services
Importance of Medical Records: Comprehensive reviews can uncover evidence of negligence, such as:
Incomplete documentation of sterilization processes.
Lack of follow-up care notes.
How We Assist Attorneys: Our medical records review services provide detailed analyses that help attorneys build strong cases.
Case Studies
Case Study 1: Infection after Knee Replacement Surgery
• Overview: After undergoing knee replacement surgery, a patient was reported to have developed a severe infection.
• Challenges: Deciding if the root cause of the infection was surgical malpractice or an unfortunate complication.
• Solutions: Medical record review corroborated claims of malpractice due to insufficient sterilization of surgical instruments.
Case Study 2: Post-Operative Infection Following Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
• Overview: An infection was noted in a patient after laparoscopic surgery was carried out to remove the gallbladder.
• Challenges: Ascertaining the stages in which the infection occurred and the treatment conducted.
• Solutions: Medical files showed evidence of absence of adequate post-operative care which corroborates claims of negligence.
Conclusion
Dealing with infections occurring after surgeries often creates additional problems and complications for the healthcare professional as well as the patients. From an attorney’s perspective, it often becomes necessary to look at the legal logic behind these infections while assuring the client gets justice. There are numerous medical record review services out there that assist legal practitioners in building a strong case while ensuring that careless condoning malpractice gets attention.