Patient Suffers Wrongful Death from Sepsis
There are many different types of infections that someone might develop; however, one of the most severe is called sepsis. For those who might not know, this term is used to describe the body’s systemic inflammatory response to a serious bacterial, viral, fungal, or other infection. If sepsis is not recognized quickly, people can die within hours due to cardiac, respiratory, or neurological failure. Some of the statistics that have been published on sepsis by the World Health Organization include:
- There are more than 30 million people across the world who contract a septic infection every year
- About 6 million of these individuals die which is about 20 percent of the total number of cases
- These numbers include more than 1 million children
- The number of septic infections caused by multi-drug resistant pathogens is rising
- About 10 percent of these cases involve childbirth
- Healthcare-associated infections are one of the leading causes of sepsis across the world
This last statement is particularly striking because doctors and hospitals routinely treat and kill infections. How can someone contract an infection while at a hospital? A recent case illustrated this.
Death Following Sepsis in the Hospital
Recently, a case report was published involving a woman who developed a septic infection while in a hospital. She originally visited the hospital due to complaints of chest pain. She was middle-aged, slightly overweight, but was otherwise healthy. Her chest pain was found to be cardiac-related. She required an aortic valve replacement as well as bypass surgery of one of her coronary arteries to treat her chest pain and her heart condition. As is routine prior to every surgical procedure, an IV was placed to provide fluids and medications as needed. After the IV was placed, the individual complained of frequent pain and burning in and around the IV site. The IV was eventually removed at the patient’s request; however, she had developed a septic infection in this line. Eventually, the patient was diagnosed with a septic infection (likely from the line) and subsequently died.
Diagnosing a Septic Line Infection
IVs, short for intravenous lines, are used in all hospital settings to provide fluids and medications; however, it is also important for patients and healthcare providers to watch for signs of line infections. Some of these include:
- Pain, burning, or irritation
- Fevers
- Redness or swelling around the line
- A line that will not “flush,” or is clogged
- Purulent discharge from the line
Because the line feeds directly into a blood vessel, any infection in this line can spread rapidly to the entire body. This can lead to sepsis and death. Therefore, anyone who has been diagnosed with sepsis, particularly from an IV line, should be sure to reach out to an experienced wrongful death lawyer. You and your family may be deserving of a financial reward.
Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyer. Sepsis is a serious bloodstream infection that can quickly lead to death without rapid recognition and proper treatment. If someone you care about has died as a result of sepsis, call me at your earliest convenience at (800) 404-5400 or (916) 921-6400 for free, friendly legal advice.
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Patient Suffers Wrongful Death from Sepsis: AutoAccident.com
Image Attribution: The photo used at the top of this article can be viewed in its original form on Pixabay. The picture has been printed here with permission/ Patient Suffers Wrongful Death from Sepsis.
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