Can you imagine having surgery, going home only to return to the hospital days later so sick you can’t breathe, stand or walk? Then you spend months in ICU, on a ventilator and in rehabilitation all because you acquired an infection during or after the surgery that went untreated?
Our office can investigate these post surgical infection cases on your behalf. We will request and review the medical records to determine what if any signs and symptoms of infection existed when you were discharged.
- did you have a fever?
- elevated white blood cell count?
- Weakness?
- Change in mental status?
- Were other medications masking these symptoms such that your infection wasn’t obvious to someone who looked at you?
Hospital infections are not a new story. Some are preventable. Many are preventable.
In attempt to curb hospital infections, starting in October Medicare will not pay hospitals for infections they cause in patients. NPR this week featured the payment system change: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/06/23/323998618/hospitals-to-pay-big-fines-for-infections-avoidable-injuries.
Hoping that financial incentives will lead to better care is a nice idea, but until we can hold folks accountable for these preventable infections, little change will occur. Of course, I hope I am wrong about that!
Lauren