Philadelphia Septicemia Lawyer

Few medical conditions are as frightening as septicemia. When a patient has severe reactions to infection, several complications can prove disastrous. In many cases, these infections are fatal. Patients often get septicemia while receiving medical care. These infections are usually preventable, and it’s up to healthcare providers to keep their facilities clean and identify septicemia risks for patients. If you or a loved one has suffered from sepsis while receiving medical care, you might be able to get compensation for the costs of your medical care, in addition to any other costs the condition caused. Contact Wapner Newman to speak to our Philadelphia septicemia attorneys today.

What is Septicemia?

Septicemia is also referred to as sepsis, or blood poisoning, though the term “blood poisoning” can be slightly misleading. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines sepsis simply as the body’s extreme response to an infection. For years, the medical community thought of sepsis as a serious bloodstream infection. However, as the National Institutes of Health point out, sepsis stems from two factors: an infection and the immune system’s harmful reaction to that infection. Thus, sepsis generally stems from an initial infection in another part of the body. The medical community is constantly learning new ways of combatting and identifying sepsis, though healthcare providers already know enough to prevent most of these cases from happening. When a patient suffers sepsis because a healthcare provider failed to take appropriate actions, the patient or the patient’s family has the right to consider filing a medical malpractice claim to receive compensation for their suffering.

How Patients Get Sepsis

The initial infection that leads to sepsis or septicemia can occur in several different parts of the body, though a few infections are often the culprit:

• Urinary tract infections
• Pneumonia
• Lung infections
• Skin infections
• Abdominal infections

Patients suffer from septicemia in medical facilities because of exposure to other sick patients and, in some case, because healthcare providers fail to sanitize equipment, surfaces or their own hands.

Who is at Risk?

Approximately 1 million Americans suffer from sepsis or septic shock every year. More than 200,000 die from the condition. While anyone can suffer from sepsis, the most susceptible are...

• People with weak immune systems
• Older patients
• Children
• People with serious injuries or other health problems
• Patients suffering from diabetes, AIDS, cancer, kidney disease or liver disease

Healthcare providers are trained to identify patients who are at high risk for certain types of infections and to ensure that they are as safe as possible. When a patient suffers an infection in a medical facility, they have the right to explore their legal options to determine whether healthcare providers failed to act in keeping with the standard of care in the medical facility. If you believe that your condition was caused by negligent healthcare, contact Wapner Newman to schedule a free consultation with our medical malpractice attorneys.

Signs of Septicemia and Sepsis

Sepsis can manifest itself in several ways, including...

• Confusion, disorientation
• Shortness of breath
• High heart rate
• Fever
• Chills
• Extreme pain
• Sweaty skin

These conditions often precede serious health complications that prove fatal in 15 to 30 percent of sepsis cases. Those who survive sepsis often suffer from organ dysfunction, chronic fatigue, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, in addition to any number of health complications.

Holding Healthcare Providers Accountable

At Wapner Newman, we have years of experience holding negligent healthcare providers responsible for the harm they’ve caused patients. We’ve represented injured and ill patients and families who have lost a loved one because of the harmful medical care they’ve received. We investigate the causes of our clients’ suffering to determine who was at fault. We also calculate how much our clients are owed by looking at medical expenses, lost income, pain, suffering and the loss of life’s pleasures. Once we know who was responsible and how much our clients have lost, we work tirelessly on their behalf to get them the payment they need.

Contact Wapner Newman Today

The Philadelphia septicemia attorneys at Wapner Newman want to help injured people get justice. Whether you’re living with the consequences of sepsis or you’ve lost a loved one from sepsis, we want to hear your story and help you understand your legal options. Our consultations are free, and you are under no obligation to move forward with a medical malpractice claim if you don’t wish to do so. Contact Wapner Newman to schedule a free case evaluation with our team.