The risk of contracting an infection while you are hospitalized is indisputable: One in every 25 hospital patients in the United States contract an infection while they are there. This used to be accepted as a “given.” It seemed logical that – with so many illnesses and infectious agents gathered in one place, and patients’ systems already stressed by illness or injury – infection was an inevitable risk. This view is now changing, though, with compelling new evidence that shows a protocol of low-cost infection prevention measures can prevent nearly all hospital infections.

The assumed inevitability of hospital infection has shielded hospitals and physicians from liability in the past. With the new evidence of preventability – and the rising number of dangerous drug-resistant bacteria – victims of such infections can often pursue a medical malpractice case based on negligence. As the pool of knowledge concerning infection prevention in hospital settings grows, it has become an expectation that medical institutions will strictly adhere to more aggressive prevention protocols – and they can be held liable for damages that result from failing to do so.
Read more