Washing of the hands, making sure medical equipment is clean and never using needles twice are just some of the many things medical personnel are required to do when treating patients in Chicago in order to avoid spreading dangerous diseases and infections.
However, patients in the United States are still harmed by medical malpractice each year because of problems like contaminated or dirty surgical instruments in medical facilities, including dirty injection vials or needles. These unsafe practices can put patients in danger of suffering injuries and deadly diseases or infections.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 150,000 patients have been given unsafe injections since 2001 alone, and most were given in the last four years. Patients can contract fatal viruses, MRSA infections and dozens of other diseases and infections from dirty needles.
Although most injections across the country are safely administered, it is estimated that roughly 5 percent are not. The numbers could be larger, though, since the numbers only reflect incidents that have been reported.
According to a USA Today report, long-term care centers, small clinics and outpatient facilities are linked to more unsafe injections. The report also said that one U.S. clinic was suspected to have administered as many as 50,000 unsafe injections, potentially infecting thousands of patients with hepatitis or other diseases.
Those who are harmed by unsafe injection practices could experience serious or life-threatening health complications. The pain these victims experience and the expenses these victims incur should not be their responsibility. In order to hold doctors, nurses and other medical professionals accountable for their negligence, medical malpractice victims may want to consider consulting an attorney in order to learn more about protecting their rights and pursuing compensation for their injuries.
Source: USA Today, “Dirty medical needles put tens of thousands at risk in USA,” Peter Eisler, Dec. 27, 2012.
- Our firm represents patients who have suffered serious injuries as a result of medical malpractice. To learn more about protecting medical malpractice victims’ rights, please visit ourChicago medical malpractice attorneys page.
