New Mexico patients who get dialysis might want to make sure that the facility where the procedure is done follows guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in screening for hepatitis B. In Seattle, a hospital has announced that around 650 patients may have been exposed to the disease due to improper screening.
The hospital informed health officials in May that its staff had failed to screen and isolate patients as recommended. However, public health officials agreed with the hospital that there was a low risk of transmission.
The county public health office investigated and found that the hospital disinfected equipment and took other measures to prevent infection from spreading, and there was no evidence found of a higher risk for other types of infection. The hospital did recommend that its patients get hepatitis B tests.
Medical negligence or malpractice can have many forms and causes. It may range from medication errors to wrong-site surgery and more and might happen due to poor communication, poor training, understaffing, poor management or for many other reasons. A person who suffers a health setback due to this kind of medical negligence might want to consult an attorney. It may be advisable to file a lawsuit against the medical professionals or the facility responsible. Compensation might help pay for additional medical expenses, lost wages and other costs incurred as a result of the error. A court will look at the evidence and decide whether the patient received a reasonable standard of medical care.
Source: FOX News, “At least 650 dialysis patients at Seattle hospital possibly exposed to hepatitis B,” June 18, 2016