Untreated Decubitus Ulcer Causes Death
Our medical negligence lawyers represent hospital patients and nursing home residents who develop bed sores and decubitus ulcers. The conditions are usually completely avoidable and only develop because the medical staff failed to take the necessary precautions to prevent them from occurring. Even patients who are at high risk for these sores due to their medical conditions should rarely ever get them with appropriate care and treatment.
Bed sores and decubitus ulcers that are not timely identified and go untreated can lead to a sepsis infection. Sepsis is a severe illness in which the bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria. When undiagnosed or untreated, sepsis can lead to serious medical conditions, including organ shut down, and even death.
The medical staff has the obligation to properly assess a patient for the risk of developing a bed sore and then implement a plan to reduce the risk and prevent it from occurring. This can be accomplished by using a specialized mattress, turning the patient on a regular schedule, bathing the patient, and providing proper nutrition. If a decubitus ulcer does develop, the hospital or nursing home facility must implement proper treatment to prevent it from worsening to the point where it becomes uncontrollable. Quite often, a wound care specialist is called in to treat the sore.
Unfortunately, many times the medical staff fails to prevent the ulcer from developing and fails to treat it in a timely manner. Too often, by the time aggressive treatment is started it is too late to prevent significant harm or even death. These are tragic results from a preventable condition. (more…)