Medical facilities are required to maintain all equipment and space where employees and patients are located in sanitized and free of any diseases or bacteria that can be contracted. A frightening reality is that many people who undergo surgical procedures or any procedure involving the use of a device or instrument that has previously been used can contract a severe disease like hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and even HIV. In fact, there were warnings that came from a hospital in March 2014 that patients may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis because the same insulin pen was used on various patients. Medical negligence’s like that should not be occurring, but they do.
In addition to ensuring that everything is kept clean, hospitals must ensure that their employees are not going against the policies and regulations of the hospital. Also, medical staff needs to be properly checked for any drug use or criminal history that may indicate that maybe the medical professional committed an error and used the same surgical instrument on another patient. HIV and Hepatitis Exposure Malpractice lawyer in Orlando can help the patient understand what their next steps are. It is quite sad that an innocent person who was just seeking medical aid falls a victim of a disease that will remain with them for the rest of their life and require everyday treatment.
How Can Hepatitis and HIV Exposure Be Prevented?
The hospital can do and make sure that a number of elements are performed within their facility. Infectious diseases like Hepatitis or HIV must be prevented with all measures necessary amongst all the duties that a hospital has. If they fail at their duty, a medical litigation can be filed against them and they may be responsible to pay for the damages that the patient endured because of their negligence. No one wants to live with a disease that they know will never go away and prevent them from being able to enjoy life. Here are some measures that can be taken:
- Needles and syringes that have been used must be disposed of afterward; they should only be single-use
- After a patient uses a medical device, the device must be decontaminated
- Single-use medical devices must be thrown away
- Medical professionals must take preventative measures by wearing protective clothing like gloves, eyewear, and gowns
- The cleaning of any body fluids or blood must follow the cleaning guidelines
In addition to patients contracting these diseases, the staff members must be careful when handling any needles that may be contaminated with HIV. Health care practitioners must always be careful and vigilant.
Did You Contract an Infectious Disease During Medical Treatment?
If a patient contracted an infectious disease while they were in the care of a medical professional or facility, they might be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against them. To learn about the options available, the victim of HIV or other infectious disease exposure should contact an attorney for malpractice in Orlando.