Is a Hospital Liable for Staph Infection?

Staph infections are becoming more and more common in hospitals. Whether hospitals are liable for these staph infections is the subject of several lawsuits.

History

• In the last few years, infections have become quite common in hospitals. A 2005 study conducted by Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council showed that of 1.6 million patients, 19,154 contracted infections in the hospital, and of these, 2,478 died.

The Super Bug

• The 2005 study showed that of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MSRA, 85 percent of the staph infections are contracted at health care facilities. MSRA has been called the "superbug," as it is a drug-resistant bacterium.

Causes of Staph Infection

• Impaired immunity makes one more susceptible to staph infections. The other leading cause is exposure to a hospital or clinical setting. Staph can be spread by air, contaminated surfaces or person to person. Poor hygiene is a major culprit.

Symptoms

• Staph infections may show up as an infection of hair follicles, as boils, as skin infections accompanied by fever or as skin infections characterized by a quick-spreading rash. If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor.

Significance

• Lawsuits are being pursued worldwide. In January of 2008, London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital settled for $10 million with an actress who had developed a staph infection after a stay at the hospital. In the United States, a Minneapolis law firm won a $950,000 settlement for a patient who had been hospitalized and contracted a staph infection.

Potential

• Hospital and health care facilities are becoming more vulnerable to these lawsuits. With more and more staph infections occurring, law firms specializing in staph infection lawsuits are only as far away as the Internet or phone book.