Surgical Site Infections (SSIs): Signs, Symptoms, and When to Take Legal Action

Significant complications may arise if you develop a surgical site infection after a medical procedure requiring one or more incisions. More severe infections can occur because of the type of surgery and exposure to risk factors that increase the chances of developing an infection. Discuss a surgical site infection with an experienced Philadelphia medical malpractice attorney at Lopez McHugh LLP to determine if a surgical error causing infection is medical malpractice.

The Costs of Surgical Site Infections

Increased pathogens at the incision site can lead to infection and impact your recovery from surgery. SSIs are costly and deadly when treatment is slow, when they are mistaken for another illness, or when the body’s immune system is compromised. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights the growing challenges SSIs pose to surgical patients, resulting in the following health challenges and costs:

• SSIs continue to increase after surgery, contributing significantly to prolonged hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality.
• Healthcare-associated infections cause 20% of SSIs.
• SSI-associated deaths are attributable directly to the infection at a rate of 75%.
• SSIs from healthcare-associated infections account for $3.3 billion in costs.
• SSIs extend a hospital stay by an average of 9.7 days.
• Hospital costs due to an SSI generally increase by more than $20,000.

A successful surgery does not always guarantee that complications will not arise. Recognizing the signs of an SSI and receiving treatment as soon as possible is vital.

Surgical Site Infection Signs and Symptoms

Alert your healthcare provider of any changes at the surgical site, whether you are at home or remain in the hospital under care. As the demands of hospital staff grow, alerting a nurse or doctor of the signs and symptoms of an SSI is imperative. Signs and symptoms of infection after surgery may include:

• Pain at the incision site or tenderness in the general area
• An increase in the skin temperature around the incision, which may feel warmer than the rest of your skin
• Redness or changes in the skin’s color
• A fever greater than 101º Fahrenheit, with possible chills and sweating
• Changes to the incision’s size that appear to increase in depth, length, and width
• A discharge or pus coming from the incision
• A foul odor

SSIs often develop within 30 days of the surgical procedure. There are three types of SSIs you may experience. The type of infection can impact your recovery and cost more to treat.

Be Aware of These Surgical Site Infections

SSIs can occur anywhere in the body, even away from the incision site. Johns Hopkins Medicine describes three types of SSIs you may experience:

• Superficial incisional: occurring in the skin area near the incision
• Deep incisional: Infection occurring near the muscle or tissue beneath the incision site
• Organ or space: Any infection in the body other than the skin, muscle, or surrounding tissue at the surgical site

Reopening the incision, drainage, antibiotics, or special X-ray studies may be necessary to discover and treat infections below the skin. The body’s defense mechanisms may begin to fight the disease, triggering a severe response known as sepsis, where its chemicals turn on themselves. Sepsis shock, according to the Cleveland Clinic, can cause organ and tissue damage and death.

When to Take Legal Action for a Surgical Site Infection

The surgical team and hospital staff are responsible for providing a clean environment to minimize your risk of developing an infection. While infections can occur from exposure to germs at home, the chances of acquiring a healthcare-associated infection are significantly higher due to a hospital’s environment. Procedure-related risk factors that may cause surgical site infections include:

• Non-sterile equipment and surgical tools: Sterilizing medical devices and equipment is crucial to preventing the spread of bacteria. Instruments used to perform surgery can contribute to introducing outside germs into or on the body.
• Substandard site preparation: Substandard care may result from failing to remove hair at the surgical site, inadequately applying antiseptic, and other practices that increase the risk of germ exposure and may result from negligent care.
• Inadequate hand hygiene: Medical staff who do not practice hand hygiene to prevent the introduction and spread of bacteria may cause infections. Failing to wear or use gloves appropriately can also increase the risk of an SSI.
• Lack of medication prevention: Failing to use antibiotics, administering the wrong antibiotic, or choosing the wrong dosage before surgery may increase the chances of an SSI developing.
• Poor patient monitoring: Inadequate monitoring of a patient’s health and response to a surgical procedure from initiating surgery until their release may increase SSI risk.
• Extended surgical times: Any occurrence that slows a surgical procedure increases the risk of exposure to pathogens.
• Improper ventilation: A lack of airflow may increase the number of airborne pathogens in the operating room, leading to an SSI.
• Drain use or abnormal fluid collection: Fluid collection from hematoma, seroma, or drains at the surgical site may threaten patient health.
• Unsatisfactory surgical techniques: Failing to maintain tissue hydration, excessive tension in closing tissue, increased tissue trauma, or failing to remove dead tissue are some of the procedure-related risks you may experience.

Identifying the cause of an SSI can be complex. Detecting most SSIs occurs between days nine and sixteen after surgery. It is always best to discuss an SSI with a Philadelphia medical malpractice attorney to discover if surgical errors are the cause of your damages.

Proving Surgical Errors Are the Cause of an SSI

Successfully pursuing a medical malpractice case will require experienced legal representation to prove that the actions of your healthcare providers in Philadelphia fall outside the standard of care. Medicine is not an exact science. Surgeries can produce undesirable outcomes without surgical errors occurring.

Proving that a surgical error is the cause of an SSI is possible. You may have the legal right to hold surgeons, nurses, hospital administration, or multiple parties responsible for your damages from an SSI.

Discuss a Surgical Site Infection With a Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Contact us online or visit one of our locations to discuss a surgical site infection and legal action. Lopez McHugh LLP possesses over 50 years of combined legal experience helping patients and families who have lost loved ones due to surgical site infections resulting from surgical errors. Our Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers provide legal advocacy state-wide and nationwide to help you recover.