Do You Need to Hire a Sepsis
Attorney in Reno?
If you suffered injuries or your loved one died because sepsis went undiagnosed, untreated, or was improperly treated, sepsis attorney Stephen Osborne can help ensure that the negligent medical providers are held accountable for the harm their actions or omissions caused you to endure. Advocating for victims of medical negligence since 1992, Stephen can help you win compensation to help pay for your medical bills, future medical treatments, lost wages and future earning capacity, pain and suffering, and more.
You Don’t Pay Unless We Win
Sepsis complications are preventable. If your medical provider was negligent, call Reno sepsis attorney Stephen Osborne to recover compensation.
(775) 789-4944
What Is Sepsis?
Sepsis is a life-threatening medical condition that strikes when the body’s extreme response to infection triggers inflammation throughout the body. It occurs when chemicals are released into the bloodstream to combat the infection. Instead of attacking the microorganisms that are causing the infection, however, the body releases a cascade of attacks against cells, tissues, and organs.
Sepsis is a medical emergency. If the body begins losing its battle with the condition, severe sepsis may quickly develop into septic shock. If this occurs, the patient’s blood pressure will significantly drop, reducing blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. In response, the patient’s breathing rate will increase and his or her heart will beat faster. As toxins continue to invade the patient’s body, internal bleeding, organ failure, and eventually death may occur.
What Are the Symptoms of Sepsis?
Failing to recognize the early symptoms of sepsis could result in the condition advancing to septic shock. Common symptoms that indicate that a patient may have sepsis include:
Fever and Chills
High heart rate
Low blood pressure
Shortness of breath
Confusion or disorientation
Extreme localized
Nausea and vomiting
Clammy, sweaty skin
Patients who experience a combination of these symptoms should seek urgent medical care and let their medical provider know that they suspect sepsis. There is no single test to diagnose sepsis. If an infection is present and two or more of the following exist, a sepsis diagnosis may be made. Medical providers will look for:
A fever of more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
Respiratory distress
A heart rate above 90 beats per minute
While blood cell that are depressed or elevated
Early Diagnosis and Treatment of
Sepsis Saves Lives
Early diagnosis and treatment of sepsis and the infections that cause the condition can drastically improve a patient’s chances of survival. If a medical professional suspects sepsis, various tests can be performed to help confirm a diagnosis.
Diagnosing Sepsis
Blood Test
Lactate: Lactic acid is often produced by the patient’s organs when not enough oxygen is available. A high level of lactic acid can indicate that you have sepsis.
C-reactive protein (CRP): C-reactive protein is produced by your body when inflammation is present. Inflammation is frequently an indicator of infection, and may signify sepsis.
Blood culture: A blood culture can help to identify the type of bacteria or fungi that caused the infection in your blood.
Procalcitonin (PCT): High levels of procalcitonin, a protein in your blood, indicates a bacterial infection. Low levels of PCT suggest a viral infection or an illness not related to an infection.
Endotoxin: Endotoxin is released when the bacteria cell disintegrates. Its presence confirms that there are gram-negative bacteria in your bloodstream.
The following blood tests can reveal blood clotting issues that may indicate sepsis.
Prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time (PT and PTT): High levels of PT and PTT could indicate that your blood may not be clotting well.
Platelet count: A low platelet count can mean that your body is forming many clots in various areas of your body. This frequently signifies sepsis.
D-dimer: The level of d-dimer can be high if you have one large clot, or it can be high if your body is making many tiny clots, as happens in sepsis.
Imaging Tests
Imaging tests can help your medical team locate infections in your body. If the site of infection cannot be found, your doctor may order:
X-Rays: X-rays may reveal infection in your lungs.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): MRIs may help identify soft tissue or bone infections.
Computerized Tomography (CT): Infections in your pancreas, liver, or other abdominal organs are easier to see on CT scans.
Ultrasound: An ultrasound can check for infections in your gallbladder and kidneys.
Urine Tests
Your doctor may also perform urine tests to learn more about your health if sepsis is suspected. These tests include:
Urinalysis: A urinalysis can help your doctor determine if you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), or if kidney stones or other kidney problem exist.
Urine Culture: A urine culture may help identify the type of bacteria or fungi that caused a UTI.
Sepsis Treatment
Once a sepsis diagnosis is made, prompt treatment is vital to avoid permanent organ or tissue damage or fatality. According to a 2006 study, the risk of sepsis-related death increases by approximately 7.6% with every hour that passes before treatment of the condition begins. Treatment may include:
Antibiotics
Breathing Machine
IV Fluids
Dialysis
Vasopressors
Although sepsis and septic shock can be prevented, and existing treatments can help save patients’ lives, injuries and wrongful deaths caused by the condition continue to occur. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that in an average year:
Approximately 1.7 million American adults develop sepsis
Sepsis will cause roughly 270,000 deaths in the United States
87% of sepsis cases start from an infection acquired outside of the hospital
What Causes Sepsis?
Untreated or improperly-treated infections can cause sepsis. Although most cases of sepsis are caused by bacterial infections, the condition can also be caused by other types of infections, including viral infections like influenza, pneumonia, and COVID-19. Even minor fungal or parasitic infections can put you at risk of developing sepsis. Sepsis attorneys often see cases that have developed from:
Legionnaire’s Disease
Food Poisoning
Bed Sores
Bedsores, which are frequently a sign of nursing home neglect and abuse, are pressure sores that commonly occur when patients and nursing home residents are immobile. When bedsores are left untreated, localized infections, cellulitis, and osteomyelitis can develop. These infections can lead to sepsis.
Dog Bites and Animal Attacks
Post-Surgical Infections
Post-surgical complications, like infections in incisions, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and fluid build-up in the abdominal cavity can turn into sepsis. Approximately 1% of patients who undergo routine surgery develop sepsis. Emergency surgery increases the risk.
Contaminated Medical Products
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When Sepsis Is Caused by Medical Malpractice
If your doctor failed to prevent, diagnose, or treat sepsis, or an infection that led to your development of the condition, and you sustained damages as a result, you may have a medical malpractice claim.
Examples of medical negligence that may be related to the development of sepsis or septic shock include:
Failing to recognize an infection
Improper treatment of an infection
Failing to ensure the cleanliness of IV lines and other medical devices
87% of sepsis cases start from an infection acquired outside of the hospital
If you or a loved one developed sepsis while in a hospital or under the care of a medical professional, sepsis attorney Stephen Osborne can examine your medical records and other evidence to evaluate whether medical malpractice likely contributed to the deterioration of your health.
When Sepsis Is Caused by Medical Malpractice
Nursing home residents and people who are living in assisted living facilities are at an exceptionally high risk of developing sepsis due to immobility, age, comorbidities, and weakened immune systems. Despite infection control measures and established protocols that are designed to prevent and treat conditions that lead to sepsis, thousands of nursing home residents develop the condition every year. Between 30% and 40% of nursing home residents who contract sepsis will not survive.
Examples of nursing home negligence that may lead to sepsis include:
Who Is At Risk for Developing Sepsis?
Anyone with an infection is at risk of developing sepsis. Some people are at an increased risk, however. According to the CDC,
people who are more likely to contract sepsis include:
Who Can Be Held Liable for Sepsis Injuries?
If you or your loved one developed sepsis while you were in the hospital, under the care of a medical professional, or living in a nursing home, various parties may be able to be held liable for sepsis injuries and deaths. This includes, but is not limited to:
The Medical Facility
If you were in the hospital, or receiving care at a surgical center, birthing center, or medical clinic, and you developed sepsis, that facility can be held liable if conditions at the facility contributed to the infection that led to sepsis. The facility may also be able to be held liable for your injuries if staff members failed to diagnose and/or treat your infection or sepsis in a timely manner.
Contracting Medical Professionals
In many cases, physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists, and other medical professionals are not employed by the facilities where they work. If a medical professional failed to diagnose or prevent the condition, or his or her negligent acts or omissions contributed to the worsening of sepsis while he or she was working as an independent contractor, that party can be legally responsible for damages.
The Nursing Home
If you or your loved one lived in a nursing home or assisted living facility when you contracted sepsis or an infection that led to sepsis, the facility may be responsible if negligence was a contributing factor. If unclean facilities, untreated bedsores, or a poorly maintained catheter, breathing tube, or IV contributed to the condition’s development or worsening, the nursing home can be held liable.
Contracting Agencies
Contracting agencies may be able to be held liable for sepsis injuries if their workers were negligent in providing services and an infection that led to sepsis developed or worsened as a result. For example, if a cleaning company failed to properly clean and sanitize your hospital room, and you developed an infection that led to sepsis, the company may be held liable.
How to Take Legal Action for Sepsis Injuries
If a medical professional, healthcare facility, nursing home, device manufacturer, or contracting company played a role in failing to prevent, diagnose, or treat an infection that led to sepsis or the condition itself, you may be able to file an injury claim or lawsuit to recover compensation for your losses. Your sepsis attorney will help you determine which parties played a role in causing your injuries, and what type of claim or lawsuit you should file.
Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim for Sepsis Injuries
If your sepsis lawyer determines that you should file a medical malpractice claim for sepsis injuries, he will need to demonstrate that:
Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim for Sepsis Injuries
If your sepsis lawyer determines that you should file a medical malpractice claim for sepsis injuries, he will need to demonstrate that:
Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim for Sepsis Injuries
If your sepsis lawyer determines that you should file a medical malpractice claim for sepsis injuries, he will need to demonstrate that:
Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim for Sepsis Injuries
If your sepsis lawyer determines that you should file a medical malpractice claim for sepsis injuries, he will need to demonstrate that:
Why Hire Sepsis Attorney Stephen H. Osborne to Handle Your Case?
Sepsis attorney Stephen Osborne understands the physical, emotional, and financial distress that accompanies a sepsis diagnosis, especially when the condition becomes severe, develops into septic shock, or is fatal. He personally handles every case his law firm accepts to ensure injured victims are treated fairly and the compensation they receive is appropriate.
Stephen’s compassion and dedication to his clients, and his perseverance, are evidenced in the charities he sponsors and the case results he obtains. Stephen has litigated hundreds of injury cases through trial, arbitration, and mediation, and many of his clients’ settlements and jury awards have surpassed the million dollar mark.
or call (775) 789-4944 today to schedule a FREE,
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FAQs About Sepsis Injuries
What should I do if I suspect sepsis?
If you suspect sepsis, call your doctor or go to the emergency room immediately. Sepsis can quickly develop into septic shock, which is a life-threatening medical emergency. Be sure to inform your medical team that you think you may have sepsis, so diagnosis and treatment can begin right away.
My mother developed sepsis while sharing a room with another nursing home resident who later died of the condition. Is sepsis contagious?
Although sepsis is not contagious, many of the infections that cause sepsis to develop can be transmitted between people through bodily fluids like wound secretions, coughing or sneezing, etc. A sepsis attorney can help determine how your mother contracted the condition. If it is determined that the nursing home exposed your mother to an infection that developed into sepsis, the facility may be able to be held liable for damages.
What happens if my doctor failed to diagnose sepsis?
If your doctor failed to diagnose and treat sepsis in a timely manner, he or she can be held liable for any related injuries you sustained. Filing a medical malpractice lawsuit can help hold the doctor accountable for negligence and ensure you receive compensation for your medical bill, pain and suffering, and lost wages.