Sepsis may be caused by a physician’s medical malpractice. The law provides recourse to victims who suffered negligent sepsis injuries.
Sepsis is a dangerous medical complication caused by harmful bacteria, which is usually present because of a wound that gave rise to an infection. If sepsis isn’t treated in enough time, it can threaten your life.
Patients suffering from a serious bout of sepsis may experience respiratory and circulatory problems as the body responds to the widespread infection (known as septic shock). Septic shock occurs when decreased blood pressure prevents the body’s vital organs from receiving enough blood. The heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver are all susceptible to damage during septic shock if the condition is not treated in a timely manner.
A delay in the treatment of sepsis may mean more drastic procedures must be taken to fight the life-threatening infection. Some sources estimate 100,000 people die every year from sepsis, and hundreds of thousands more suffer from sepsis and septic shock. Serious complications associated with sepsis and septic shock include:
There are many factors that may cause sepsis. Some common causes of sepsis in hospitalized patients include contracting infections from feeding and breathing tubes, IV lines, catheters, and puncturing the bowels or intestines during surgery or other invasive procedure. Victims of nursing home abuse and neglect commonly contract sepsis due to bedsores and urinary tract infections brought on by improper catheter insertion or removal.
Physicians failing to provide a legal standard of care during surgery or other invasive procedures may put their patients at unnecessary risk of developing sepsis or suffering from organ failure due to septic shock. Healthcare providers failing to diagnose the symptoms of an infection may exacerbate the condition and may constitute medical malpractice on the part of the physician.
The onset of sepsis may be associated with a number of symptoms, including:
Symptoms of established bouts of sepsis include metabolic acidosis, a serious medical condition in which the pH of patient’s blood will drop to unsafe levels due to the presence of too many blood acids. If left untreated, metabolic acidosis may lead to acidemia which may lead to coma or death.
The law requires physicians to meet a certain standard of care. If a patient suffers an injury after his or her healthcare provider failed to live up to that standard of care, the physician and hospital may be held responsible for the medical malpractice. If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury due to a bout of sepsis or septic shock, contact The Cochran Firm, DC for a free legal consultation.
The Cochran Firm, DC has a team of dedicated medical malpractice attorneys, registered nurses, and investigators who can help you determine if your sepsis injury was caused by medical malpractice on the part of your healthcare provider. Our firm has the experience and resources to properly handle the complexities of medical malpractice lawsuits. We also have the financial firepower necessary to hire world-class medical experts with whom we may consult when constructing a litigation plan for a client.
Our attorneys can help you recover for your lost wages, hospital bills, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages, and since we represent our clients on a contingency basis, we do not collect any fees unless we win your case. We do not get paid unless we secure compensation for you.
For your free sepsis medical malpractice legal consultation, contact The Cochran Firm, DC. by calling us at 202-682-5800 during business hours or at 1-800-THE FIRM (843-3476) 24 hours a day. You can also contact us online. There are strict time limits when filing a sepsis medical malpractice lawsuit so please contact us at your earliest convenience.
