Ever since medical professionals and industrial facilities have begun using antibiotics and a widespread basis, tiny organisms that cause disease have begun changing in response. For example, there have been records of methicillin-resistant streptococcus aureus (MRSA) infecting people since the 1960s.
Such resistant strains of bacteria have become a major cause of secondary infection and death. According to modern research on MRSA, quite a few of the cases where people contract this treatment-resistant infection start in medical facilities.
How do people catch MRSA at medical facilities?
Patients in hospitals and those staying at rehabilitation centers may have injuries or may have undergone surgery. Any kind of open wound or recent illness can increase someone’s likelihood of contracting an infection while staying in a medical facility. However, wounds aren’t necessary. MRSA often develops on unbroken skin and will slowly develop into an abscess.
Medical professionals should identify those with higher risk, including those with compromised immune function and also those with open wounds. Proper sanitation practices between patients, careful seclusion of those known to have contracted MRSA and other best practices can drastically reduce the likelihood of MRSA transmission between patients.
Sadly, it is all too easy for a few small mistakes on the part of a doctor or other medical professionals in healthcare facilities to result in a patient’s unnecessary infection. The only thing worse than a patient contracting MRSA is when staff members don’t notice the infection in a timely manner and it progresses beyond the initial stages because of that negligence.
Medical facilities may be responsible for patient illnesses
In scenarios where someone can conclusively connect a MRSA diagnosis with a stay in a healthcare facility, it may be possible to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit. Those diagnosed with MRSA will likely have a longer leave of absence from work than those who do not contract secondary infections when receiving health care and will typically also have larger total expenses for their care.
Pursuing a medical malpractice claim can help those sickened by poor sanitation and patient care practices cover their costs and potentially prompt change at medical facilities.