Legal Help for Victims of Hospital Associated Sepsis
West Virginia medical malpractice attorneys offer skilled representation to individuals with blood infections
Sepsis, also called septicemia, is a potentially life-threatening complication caused by an infection. Sepsis occurs when chemicals released into the bloodstream to fight the infection trigger inflammatory responses throughout the body. Severe sepsis affects more than a million Americans each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control, as many as half of them die from it.
Paulson & Nace, PLLC is a family-owned and managed firm of medical malpractice lawyers. We are well known and highly regarded throughout West Virginia. Our team of West Virginia medical malpractice attorneys has helped numerous individuals and families obtain fair compensation for harm caused by misdiagnosed or untreated blood infections. Let us help you and your family, too.
How sepsis is acquired, and its symptoms
Sepsis always begins with an infection that is left untreated. As the infection worsens, the body releases chemical substances into the bloodstream to fight it. These same substances trigger a full-body inflammatory response that can damage multiple organ systems and cause them to fail. If sepsis progresses to septic shock, blood pressure can drop dramatically and cause death. In the case of healthcare-associated infection (HAI), it can result from poor sterile technique associated with ventilators, catheters, intravenous infusions, and surgical wound treatment. It can also result from a hospital’s failure to diagnose and isolate patients with communicable infections. If medical malpractice is involved, our West Virginia lawyers can help.
The symptoms of septic infection present in three stages, starting with sepsis and progressing through severe sepsis to septic shock. It is easily diagnosed and treated during its first stage before it becomes life threatening. To be diagnosed with sepsis a patient must exhibit at least two of these symptoms:
- Body temperature above 101°F (38.3°C) or below 96.8°F (36°C)
- Heart rate higher than 90 beats per minute
- Respiratory rate higher than 20 breaths per minute
- Probable or confirmed infection
In severe sepsis, significantly decreased urine output, abrupt changes in mental status, decreased blood platelet count, breathing difficulty, abnormal heart function, or abdominal pain, indicates that an organ may be failing. In septic shock, the patient presents all the signs and symptoms of severe sepsis—plus extremely low blood pressure that is unresponsive to simple fluid replacement.
Sepsis may be misdiagnosed as the flu when a patient’s medical history is incomplete and fails to indicate a recent hospital stay or surgical procedure. It is most common and most dangerous in older adults and in patients with weakened immune systems. Early treatment of sepsis, usually with antibiotics and large quantities of intravenous fluids, improves the chances of survival. Let a West Virginia medical negligence lawyer from our firm know if we can help in any way if you or a loved one has suffered from sepsis.
Your attorney for undiagnosed healthcare-acquired sepsis in West Virginia
If you or a loved one has been injured because of a healthcare-acquired infection, Paulson & Nace, PLLC, our family-owned and managed law firm, wants to represent you. We are widely recognized throughout West Virginia for compassionate care and comprehensive legal services to families, and for our aggressive advocacy for victims of medical malpractice. When you choose a qualified medical malpractice lawyer from our practice to represent you, you are choosing a team that values families and family relationships. Please call 304-741-8079 or fill out our contact form to tell us your story in a no-obligation consultation. Our office is located at 3501 Maccorkle Ave SE, Charleston, WV 25304.
We have dedicated our lives to helping medical malpractice victims. Let us help you.