What can i do legally about an infection caught in hosital during cesarean surgery?

Question

I caught an infection in my incision while in hospital.. Most likely during surgery. Door was opened in operating room. I have video proof of this. Lady in admissions told me i got it most likely in hospital. But dr. wont tell u that.She says. .While enrolling me back into the hospital. I had an apt with my dr. to get my staples removed when he discovered it red and infected. I was so sad and crying. It was painful and burned. Dr. came to E.R. and opened it in the midle about two inches wide, and i dont know two inches or so deep. healin on its own draining. I havnt had a good soak bath in two months due to open incision i cant swim or anything, What can i do legally? I went through alot of pain have to keep it cleaned and covered everyday. Put tape over my p-hair. I was hospitalized when dr. seen my insicion was red and in pain during staple removal. Please give me advice. Anyone??? I know infections are common but they was wrong in sanitation to prevent this from happening to Me.

Answer 1

Get a lawyer and sue for malpractice. I'm sure you've got a case.

Answer 2

A door being opened into the OR wouldn't have anything to do with your infection. It's highly unlikely that it happened during surgery.More likely it came from someone caring for you who carried the bacteria on his or her hands. It could have even come from your own hands if you touched something that was contaminated in your hospital room or even in the hall or the nursery. We build up some natural immunity to bacteria in our everyday environment but the "bugs" in the hospital are often more resistent to antibiotics and also are often things you'd never come in contact with in your day-to-day life.It sounds like you had gone home and then got the infection and had to go to ER to get it treated. If the wound was cultured to see what the bacteria causing the infection was, it could help to determine where you actually got the infection. Most of the hospital aquirred infections are caused by bacteria that you would almost never get anywhere else.If indeed the culture grew a hospital "bug" I think that you would have a good case to have the hospital write off any out-of -pocket costs you may have from the treatment of the infection. This could most likely be done without an attorney. All hospitals have someone on staff who deals with patient complaints and often has the authority to settle something like this.If it wasn't cultured at the time it was opened(too late now) or if what it grew wasn't a "hospital bug" then you really don't have a case. As far as a suit goes,in order for there to be grounds there has to be proof of negligence-lack of good handwashing,not using sterile technique to change dressings,etc-could fall under this catagory. The most important test though is "Lasting Harm'. Yes,you've had a bad experience and a lot more pain than you should have but you're going to heal up just fine.This won't cause any problems later if you want to get pregnant again or if you need another c-section.Now if the infection had gone beyond the incision site and lets say had spread into the abdomen causing you to lose your uterus and ovaries THEN you would definitely have Lasting Harm and an excellent case.Fortunately that wasn't the case. I'm sorry you've been so sick. Makes it hard to enjoy that special new little person in your life.Hope everything is finally as good as new(well, almost) God bless you and you little one.

Answer 3

To begin with you should have been started on intravenous antibiotics (hospital staff should have started an IV in the vein of your arm or hand with a sterile disposable needle) before they brought you to the operating room. Normally a hospital will start an IV and give you a bag of potassium chloride I believe, then you should have received IV antibiotics like Ancef or Cefazol which I believe are some of the kind of antibiotics used prior to any surgery. Once the IV bag of antibiotics ran out, then it should be changed and a new bag put in place usually until you are discharged from the hospital. Do you remember any of this being done? You should have had at least two bags (one would have been the potassium or sodium chloride and the other bag should have had antibiotics in it). I would first ask to see your medical records (nurse's notes, operative report, progress notes, etc.), which should show somewhere if you received IV antibiotics prior to your C-section, as starting IV antibiotics is a precaution that all hospitals should take prior to any operative procedure. If you did not receive IV antibiotics at any time, then you have a major complaint/grievance against the hospital. Hospitals have a department you can complain to also called "Risk Management" regarding something like this. Then if you receive no satisfaction from the hospital I would probably contact a good "board certified" personal injury attorney.

Answer 4

i am gng throught this now. i had sme complications and they had to give me a c section or my daughter was gng to nt make it. thy did the whole procedure in 4 min. the thing i didnt get was they removed the staples 5 days later.then 2 days after i got home i noticed tht i had drainage which i mentioned to the nurse that came to my hme she said it was normal. well 3 daysal and the later i was running a fever of 103 and had green pus coming out f my cut and the cut was opening up. i went to the hospital and the dr had to give me a catscan bc he thought i had absesses in me because the surgery. wll needless to say i had an infection and had to take meds for 2 weeks. legally i think i have a case so i am kinda gng through the same thing. email me at [e-mail] and we cn tlk. believe me i know how hard it is.........

Answer 5

I'd probably hire a lawyer for the cost of the medical bills due to the infection. I'd then take action with the medical board on the doctor. Please consider letting go of the anger once the bills are paid, and the doctor has been censured. Enjoy your child!

Answer 6

Its all in the Attorney you find! You can get a good attorney who will take your case and fight for you you can win anything! Find a good debater because that is what you are going to need. Providing you are not a smoker, if you are don't bother because smoking is a BIG problem with infections and healing.

Answer 7

ive had a c-section with the birth of my son and if i found out i had an ifection due to unsanitary actions during the surgery i would sue there ***'s, first of you u need to suss out where what and how the infection came across.

Answer 8

Time to hire an attorney.
get ready for a long haul.
Some states do have $ limits on malpractice suits

Answer 9

get a lawyer if it is a law suit with proof and lots of money you can win, any lawer would take you in a second

Answer 10

Sue the living daylights out of the bastards.