When undergoing any type of surgery in the state of Iowa, even the most competent medical professionals can encounter complications, regardless of how much preparation was done beforehand. Often, some of the most dangerous complications can occur after the surgery has taken place, and many of these complications are related to infection in the body.
There are many things that medical professionals can do to help prevent infections. Extremely high hygiene measures, for example, are followed in order to prevent infection from occurring. When an infection does occur, it can bring with it very serious implications, and it can sometimes cause death. Therefore, if you or a loved one suffered complications due to an infection after surgery, you may wonder whether the doctor, surgeon, or hospital could be to blame.
The most common types of infections
Probably the most common type of infection is one that occurs at the site of the surgery. This is caused either by bacteria entering the body during the surgery or after the surgery when the wound was being tended to.
When medical devices such as ventilators, catheters, or respirators are used on a patient, they must be kept adequately clean, and this is usually the responsibility of a nurse. If they are not kept clean, the infection can occur as a consequence.
Other infections can occur simply as a result of being present in a hospital for a significant amount of time. This is because so many people in the hospital will be suffering from airborne illnesses.
When is medical malpractice a cause of infection?
If it can be shown that the specific actions of a surgeon, doctor, or other medical professional were incompetent and unprofessional, and actually caused the infection in question, they could be legitimately accused of medical malpractice. For example, if it can be shown that a surgeon allowed a non-medical professional into the operating room unreasonably, and this led to unsanitary conditions that caused an infection, it would probably lead to a successful medical malpractice case.
If you believe that an infection that you or a loved one suffered in Iowa was due to medical malpractice, it is important to take swift action. Contact our firm today to get started with your claim.