Posted in: | Nov 05,2018
When stroke patients acquire an infection in the hospital during the course of their treatment, they may suffer a higher risk of complications after discharge from the facility.
According to the findings of a new study that were published recently in the journal Stroke, when stroke patients suffer an infection like pneumonia or sepsis in the hospital, it increases their risk of readmission by as much as 20 percent. The researchers analysed hospital readmission rates for 319,000 patients who had suffered an ischemic stroke and found that as many as 20 percent of patients who were readmitted had suffered a hospital infection during their stay. When the researchers looked at the risk of specific infections, they found that common infections like urinary tract infections were linked to a 10 percent higher risk of readmission.
The findings of the study indicate that hospital staff needs to undertake more stringent patient monitoring programs when a patient is diagnosed with a urinary tract infection or one of the more common infections.
Hospital-acquired infections cause thousands of patient injuries and deaths every year. These infections can include bloodstream infections like sepsis, surgical site and urinary tract infections. Other common infections include pneumonia and other ventilator-associated infections. Most of these infections can be prevented through strict adherence to health and hygiene protocols at every step of the process. Hand hygiene plays a major role in preventing infections. Proper care and maintenance and sterilization of medical and surgical instruments are also a key factor in the prevention of these infections.
The role of infections in causing harm to America’s patients is declining, however. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the chances of contracting an infection at an American hospital dropped by 16 percent between 2011 and 2015.
Hospital infections can mean complications, extended hospitalization and other forms of patient harm. If your loved one has suffered injuries as a result of medical negligence, contact Indianapolis medical malpractice lawyers at Montross Miller and discuss your rights to a claim for damages. You may eligible for compensation for your medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering.
