Patients and patient's families are having increasing success in holding hospital's liable for preventable infections, according to the Wisconsin Law Journal, "Hospital Infections Spread, So Do Lawsuits." Patients in Missouri, Massachusetts and Utah have recently succeeded in holding hospitals' liable for injuries caused by infections such as Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) and necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating bacteria.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 90,000 deaths occur annually from hospital-acquired infections and about 2 million hospital-acquired infections are reported each year. In recognition that most hospital-acquired infections are preventable, Medicare stopped reimbursing hospitals for treatment related to hospital-acquired infections on October 1, 2008.
A leading family safety advocate on the issue of hospital infections is the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths (RID), whose website has much helpful information.
