Chicago Hospital Bedsores Attorneys
When a patient requires treatment in a hospital and must remain in the hospital or other healthcare facility for a particular amount of time, the hospital and its staff members have a duty to ensure that the patient continues to receive proper care. Such proper care includes making certain that the patient does not develop infections after having a surgical procedure, and ensuring that the patient is regularly assisted in movement to avoid the development of bedsores. While early stage bedsores usually can be treated without permanent harm to the patient, bedsores that go untreated and worsen can require surgical intervention and ultimately can lead to the patient’s death.
If you or somebody you love has suffered bedsore injuries in a hospital, our experienced Chicago hospital bedsores attorneys are here to help.
What Are Hospital Bedsores in Chicago?
Bedsores can occur in any type of setting, and they are also known as pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, according to the Mayo Clinic. More precisely, they are “injuries to skin and underlying tissue resulting from prolonged pressure on the skin,” and they occur most often in patients that are imobile or have limited mobility. Due to limited mobility, patients that spend a significant amount of time in a hospital bed or in a wheelchair may develop pressure ulcers on areas of the body, particularly bony areas like the hips, tailbone, shoulder blades, back of the arms and legs, or ankles. Yet bedsores can develop nearly anywhere on the body, and it is important for these injuries to be identified and treated quickly.
Signs of bedsores typically include:
- Changes to the color or texture of the skin;
- Swelling in an area of the skin;
- Part of the skin that feels warmer or colder than others;
- Tender areas of the skin; or
- Area of the skin that has pus-like draining.
Stages of Bedsores in Chicago Hospitals
Bedsores are classified into stages based on their severity. Early stage bedsores can typically be treated quickly and effectively. However, when hospital staff members fail to identify signs or symptoms of bedsores in patients and fail to provide treatment, the bedsores can worsen significantly. Johns Hopkins Medicine identifies the following stages of bedsores:
- Stage 1 bedsores, where the area of the skin is warm and red, and the patient may feel pain, burning, or itching;
- Stage 2 bedsores, where the area of the skin may show an open sore or look like a blister, and the patient will feel pain around the discolored area of the skin;
- Stage 3 bedsores, where the pressure ulcer has affected the patient below the surface of the skin and has developed a “crater-like appearance,” and the patient feels intense pain; and
- Stage 4 bedsores, which are the most serious types of bedsores that often require surgery and can result in life-threatening infection, and typically affect the patient’s muscles, tendons, joints, and even bones.
Contact a Chicago Bedsore Lawyer
If you or a loved one developed bedsores in a hospital, you may be able to sue the facility or one of the healthcare providers working there. One of our experienced Chicago bedsore attorneys can discuss your case with you today. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC for more information.
