Tampa Hospital Bed Sores Lawyer
Bed sores may sound like minor injuries, but they are not. They are extremely painful and cause patients immense pain and suffering. Bed sores can also cause a number of complications, which greatly place the health of the patient at risk. Bed sores are very common in hospitals, largely because hospitals are notoriously understaffed. However, this is no excuse. If you or a loved one has developed bed sores due to the negligence of hospital staff, it is important that you speak to a Tampa hospital bed sores lawyer right away.
What are Bed Sores?
Bed sores are also known as pressure ulcers because they are open sores on the skin. Bed sores develop when the skin of a patient has been placed under pressure after lying in bed, sitting in a wheelchair, or otherwise being immobile for long periods of time. When these areas of the skin are under that immense pressure for extended periods of time, blood flow cannot reach the area and bed sores develop.
Although bed sores are caused by restricted blood flow, this is never an excuse when hospital patients develop them. Hospital staff members are responsible for ensuring the safety of their patients, and that includes bed sore prevention.
How to Prevent Bed Sores
Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in hospital settings are all responsible for ensuring the safety of their patients. To ensure patients do not develop bed sores, staff members must regularly reposition their patients to alleviate the pressure on certain areas of the body. Using cushions, air mattresses, and pillows can also reduce the pressure that causes bed sores.
Hospital staff members are also responsible for ensuring a patient’s bedding and garments are dry at all times. When patients are left sitting in their own urine, this can further complicate bed sores and cause additional infections.
Improper nutrition is also crucial to ensure bed sores do not develop. Malnutrition and dehydration can also cause or contribute to bed sores. When a patient is deprived of protein, zinc, or vitamin C, they are at a greater risk for developing bed sores.
Holding Hospitals Liable for Bed Sores
When hospital staff do not take these preventative measures, it can have disastrous results. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recognizes that bed sores are a ‘never event.’ This means they are so serious, they should never happen.
Most bed sores develop because of the negligence of hospital staff. They may become busy with other patients and forget to reposition the patient, or fail to ensure a patient is receiving the proper nutrition. Bed sores are not typically the result of an intentional act. Still, hospital staff must be held liable for allowing bed sores to develop, and for paying damages any time a patient suffers as a result.
Our Florida Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Can Help with Your Case
Many people think there is nothing that can be done about bed sores, but there is. If you or a loved one has developed these sores while staying in a hospital, our Tampa nursing home abuser lawyers can help. At Kohn Law, we know how to hold hospital staff members liable for paying damages due to bed sores and we want to put that experience to work for you, too. Call us today at (813) 428-8504 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation and to learn more about how we can help.
