People in Illinois trust their doctors and other medical professionals to keep them well in the hospital. People are generally in the hospital but to be treated for serious medical conditions. They expect the condition to get better not worse. However, doctors are human. They make mistakes just like everybody else. Except, their mistakes can have deadly outcomes.
There are many ways that doctors can put their patients’ lives in danger while in a hospital setting. One such way is through the spread of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus — a deadly staph bacterial infection.
MRSA is commonly found in hospital settings. It is spread when contaminated individuals infect others in the hospital. For example, a doctor with contaminated hands can check the wound of a patient and infect that person.
When people contract MRSA they can suffer from a variety of serious complications. These include surgical site infections, wound infections, pneumonia and bloodstream infections. These infections can be deadly in certain circumstances. It is also very difficult to treat these infections since MRSA is resistant to antibiotics.
MRSA has been on the decline in recent years according to some studies published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to one study the number of deaths from MRSA declined by 9,000 between 2005 and 2011. However, it is still a challenge and risk for patients in hospital settings.
When medical professionals cause a serious infection, like MRSA, patients and their family should know their legal rights. If someone is killed because of medical negligence, a wrongful death suit because of the medical malpractice may be warranted. Medical malpractice cases should be taken seriously and surviving family members should understand that they may have the right to compensation. An Illinois personal injury attorney can help to explain these rights further when people have lost a loved one.