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Health care-associated infections are indicative of inferior care

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) defines any infection that a patient contracts while receiving medical attention for a completely different condition as a health care-associated infection (HAI). The ODPHP estimates that as many as one in every 25 individuals who receive inpatient medical treatment annually end up with an HAI. These result in tens of thousands of patient deaths and billions of dollars in costs.

ODPHP's research shows that these HAIs are often caused by viruses, bacteria, rare pathogens and fungi. The spread of these can occur at any facility that provides medical care, including nursing or residential homes, ambulatory surgical centers, hospitals or renal disease facilities.

One of the most common HAIs that patients end up contracting in hospitals is pneumonia. Other patients contract infections such as surgical site, urinary tract, clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. It's not uncommon for a patient to develop central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) either.

Common ways that HAIs are transmitted are through injections, poorly disinfected or cleaned facilities, surgery, improper or overuse of antibiotics and catheters. Diseases are often transmitted between health care workers or patients as well.

A medical provider's or facility's negligence can result in a patient having to undergo unnecessary additional surgeries or treatments and having to endure senseless pain and suffering. HAIs can be difficult for an individual without an inside understanding of the medical system to identify.

You may benefit from letting a Tucson attorney review your case to see if some impropriety occurred so that they can advise you of your rights.

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