Knoxville Infected Cuts & Open Sores Attorney
Proper wound care is critical to a nursing home resident’s health. Sadly, many negligent nursing homes fail to properly clean or dress wounds, and an infection can easily set in. Statistics show that about 2 million infections occur in nursing homes. Because there are only about 1.5 million residents each year in long-term care facilities, these numbers work out to more than 1 infection per resident.
If your loved one is cut or suffers a bedsore, we hope the nursing home treats the wound in time. However, if your loved one suffers an infection, contact our Knoxville infected cuts & open sores attorney today. Atkins Brezina, PLLC holds nursing homes legally accountable when their substandard care injuries the most vulnerable members of society.
Types of Infections
Any open wound can become infected, especially in a health-care facility which has many germs in circulation. Some of the more common infections include:
- This is a bacterial infection of the skin and underlying soft tissue, such as ligaments or tendons. Signs include swollen, red skin that is warm to touch. Sometimes cellulitis is caused by bacterium which is resistant to antibiotics and can become deadly when it enters the bloodstream or the lymph nodes.
- This is an infection of the bone. The infection can travel to the bone via the bloodstream or by surrounding tissue. Osteomyelitis causes fever and swelling, as well as fatigue. If left untreated, it can cause bone death, and a patient might need surgery to remove parts of their bones.
- This is an infection of the bloodstream which if left untreated can quickly escalate to sepsis or sepsis shock, which is deadly.
Although most infections can be treated, negligent nursing homes fail to take adequate measures in time. This is not entirely surprising. Most bedsores are probably caused by negligence in the first place, so it is no surprise if they would delay providing life-saving treatment.
Concerned family members often don’t know anything is wrong until their loved one is admitted into a hospital with a life-threatening infection. Then they reach out to us to investigate.
Nursing Homes Should Prevent Wounds in the First Place
If your loved one has a cut or bedsore, you should ask why. Homes can prevent bedsores by regularly repositioning residents and ensuring excess moisture is wiped away to reduce friction. Diligent nursing homes should also perform body checks to discover potential bedsores early.
The same is true of cuts or lacerations. Elderly residents should not have sharp objects, and staff should regularly inspect beds and other objects to ensure that they have no sharp edges. Any dangerous resident should be isolated so they do not attack others.
How Atkins Brezina, PLLC Can Help
Nursing home staff are unlikely to admit they failed to identify a wound or neglected to clean it. Consequently, our legal team is prepared to dig a little to uncover the cause of an injury. If nursing home neglect is to blame, we can file a lawsuit to seek appropriate compensation.
Call Atkins Brezina, PLLC today. We offer a consultation to anyone concerned about a loved one’s cuts or bedsores.
