When an infection develops in an individual, the correct response is to immediately seek a form a treatment to combat the infection. This is especially crucial for elderly people who may already be weak, to begin with. The weaker the person is, the stronger they will be impacted by the infection. A common infection that is highly treatable could be deadly for an elder person who is in an already vulnerable state. Just imagine the infection not being treated at all? This can cause the wrongful death of the resident within the nursing home, hospital, or assisted living facility.
Medical professionals need to be extra cautious with elder patients and keep an eye out for potential infections that may surface. Once an infection has been discovered, then the health care practitioners need to take an immediate medical intervention to assess the issue. If an infection goes untreated because the staff members were neglectful or reckless, a Miami attorney for untreated infections in the elderly can file a lawsuit for medical malpractice against the responsible party. Every infection should be treated accordingly in a quick manner to reduce the potential risk of further damage, including death.
What Are Some Identifying Characteristics of Infections?
An infection can be identified through a number of physical characteristics that an individual may develop. Some of those include:
- Mental status in a state of confusion
- An increase in body temperature
- Heart rate increase
- Appetite decrease
- Overall weakness
- Pus or blood present in a catheter; and
- More
Immediately intervening once any of these signs have been noticed is the best thing to do because infections that are left untreated can cause the body to go into shock and failure. This will cause the body to develop sepsis, which is a life-threatening condition. People who have the following conditions are more susceptible to contracting it:
- UTI’s
- Strep Throat
- Bed Sores
- Influenza
- Pneumonia; and
- More
Nursing Home Infection Numbers
- There is an average of 2 million infections that develop every year in nursing home residents
- 15-23% of residents who use feeding tools are susceptible to contracting pneumonia
Nursing Home Infection FAQS
Question: Which infection is the leading cause of death in nursing home residents?
Answer: Research has indicated that lower respiratory and pneumonia are the two infections that have the highest mortality rate in residents and causes them to be transferred to hospitals the most.
Question: Which is the most common infection that occurs in residents?
Answer: One of the most common and the infection that tends to be over-diagnosed the most is urinary tract infections.
Did an Untreated Infection Cause Your Loved One More Pain?
If an untreated infection caused an elder person to suffer further harm, untreated infections in the elderly lawyers at the Miami Firm of Percy Martinez have what it takes to hold those liable for their actions and help the family of the resident obtain recompense for the damage that has been done that could have been prevented if no negligence was displayed.
Miami
Email: percy@percymartinezlaw.com