Chicago Sepsis & Septic Shock Attorney
When a patient shows any signs of sepsis, it is critical for a healthcare provider to diagnose the condition and to ensure that the patient receives quick treatment, typically with antibiotics or intravenous fluids to fight the condition. If a patient is not diagnosed and treated for sepsis in a timely manner, the condition can become septic shock, and the patient can die from the condition. If you were injured because of a failure to diagnose and treat sepsis, or a failure to prevent sepsis, or if you lost a loved one due to septic shock, an experienced Chicago sepsis and septic shock attorney can help.
What is Sepsis?
While the term sepsis is relatively well-known, many people do not know what the condition involves or how it occurs. According to the Mayo Clinic, “sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to an infection damages its own tissues.” In other words, the body no longer fights the infection but turns those abilities onto the body’s own tissue and organs, leading to organ damage and malfunction. In circumstances where sepsis is not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, it can lead to septic shock. Septic shock is significantly more dangerous than sepsis. It involves “a dramatic drop in blood pressure that can lead to severe organ problems and death.”
Symptoms of Sepsis in Chicago
Common signs of sepsis that a doctor should recognize include the following, according to the Mayo Clinic:
- Change in the patient’s mental status;
- Systolic blood pressure reading of 100 millimeters of mercury or less; and/or
- Respiratory rate that is 22 breaths per minute or higher.
Signs of septic shock can include the above, along with high levels of lactic acid in the blood and only being able to maintain a systolic blood pressure of 65 millimeters of mercury or higher with medication. Since many people who develop sepsis are already in the hospital, healthcare providers should be monitoring them routinely for any signs of sepsis or septic shock, which must be treated promptly.
When is a Healthcare Provider in Chicago Liable for Sepsis?
You might be wondering when a healthcare provider can be liable for sepsis or septic shock. Since sepsis often results from an infection, it may not always be preventable. However, doctors and other healthcare providers may still be liable for sepsis and septic shock injuries in certain circumstances, such as:
- Failure to diagnose and treat an infection that could result in sepsis;
- Failure to diagnose and treat sepsis;
- Failure to diagnose and treat septic shock; and
- Prescribing the wrong medication or treatment for sepsis or septic shock.
Contact Our Sepsis & Septic Shock Lawyers in Chicago
When a patient suffers sepsis or septic shock, it is critical to begin working with a Chicago medical negligence attorney as soon as possible in order to get started on a claim. While some cases of sepsis and septic shock do not result from medical negligence, other cases can occur when a healthcare provider fails to diagnose, prevent, or treat a case of sepsis or septic shock.
Whether you suffered sepsis or septic shock yourself, or if you lost a loved one due to septic shock, our firm can assist you with your claim. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC for more information about sepsis, septic shock, and medical negligence claims in Chicago, Illinois.
