Sepsis Injuries in Nursing Homes

Sepsis, also referred to as septicemia, is a bacterial blood infection. Under normal circumstances, the body’s white blood cells rid the blood of bacteria, but sepsis may occur if the white blood cells are overwhelmed by an unusually large amount of bacteria.

Nursing home residents with sepsis may experience fever, chills, rapid breathing and irregular heartbeat, and/or loss of appetite. Many times, sepsis develops at the same time as infection in another part of the body, such as a respiratory, skin or gastrointestinal infection. In severe cases, sepsis can lead to infections of the brain and the heart, and subsequent death.

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control indicate that sepsis is the eleventh leading cause of death. The morbidity rates associated with sepsis range from 28% to 50%, making prevention and timely treatment critical.

The skin is one of the main sites of infection leading to sepsis. Normally, the skin serves as a barrier against all manner of viral and bacterial threats, but any cut or other open wound can allow a bacterial infection that can cause sepsis to develop. These include surgical sites, points of entry for intravenous lines and sites of skin breakdown such as decubitus ulcers or bedsores.

Sepsis prevention can in part include monitoring the skin for the development of bedsores, and taking steps to prevent bedsores from developing. If sepsis develops in a resident who was improperly monitored or treated, the medical professionals in charge of administering care may be held liable.

Sepsis can kill residents who otherwise might have recovered fully from their original injuries or illnesses. In a wrongful death suit related to sepsis, the family must show that the individuals death was due to sepsis, and that the development of that disease was the responsibility of the medical professionals entrusted with their loved ones care.

Contact our Wisconsin Nursing Home Neglect Attorneys

If you or your loved one is the victim of any type of nursing home abuse or neglect, you must contact an experienced Wisconsin personal injury attorney, nursing home abuse attorney to protect your rights and make sure you receive compensation for harm suffered at the nursing home.

Taking legal action against an abusive or negligent nursing home is one of the best ways to raise awareness, improve quality of care and effectively improve the life of your loved one and other victims of nursing home abuse/negligence.

At PKSD, our leading team of personal injury lawyers are dedicated to preventing negligence and abuse from occurring in nursing homes. Our Wisconsin nursing home negligence attorneys are experts in this complicated area of the law, and work relentlessly to hold nursing homes accountable.

Our team of attorneys, paralegals and nurses handles the most nursing home cases in Wisconsin. Our team helps clients and their families obtain financial restitution for their pain, suffering, financial loss and medical expenses. We provide each client with extensive resources, aggressive representation, personalized attention and compassionate legal care.

For more information, contact us today by calling  414-333-3333 or reach us online by clicking “here” and completing the pop up form. We can also be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via our “Live Chat” option.

At PKSD, we’re here to help and your first consultation is 100% FREE.