California Injury Attorney Blog

In most cases, Pressure Ulcers, Bed Sores also known as Decubitus Ulcers can be prevented. When they are present; complications can develop such as infections and prolonged hospital-stays. The patient's overall prognosis decreases and it may contribute to premature mortality. This is why healthcare professionals must thoroughly document pressure ulcer and bed sore assessments. Assessment forms and flow sheets will vary from facility to facility, but the information collected does not.

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Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as "infections caused by a wide variety of common and unusual bacteria, fungi, and viruses during the course of receiving medical care," were first observed in the acute hospital setting says California Elder Abuse Attorney Steven Peck.

As a result, these infections are commonly referred to as nosocomial infections, hospital-acquired infections, and hospital-onset infections throughout the medical literature; however, healthcare-associated infections is now the preferred term because these infections can occur in any healthcare setting. In the United States, there are approximately 1.7 million HAIs annually, resulting in over 100,000 deaths. These grim statistics highlight the seriousness of this issue.

Requirements for infection transmission include the presence of an infectious agent, a susceptible host, and a means of transmission. All of these requirements are met in nursing homes (NHs), and because the NH population is largely made up of elders, this population is at especially high risk of contracting HAIs and experiencing considerable morbidity and mortality following an infection.

The CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) acknowledge that exposure to environmental opportunistic pathogens or airborne pathogens in these settings can have serious consequences for healthcare workers and residents, especially those with compromised immune systems, such as frail elders. With an increasing number of individuals--many of whom have preexisting comorbidities that make them susceptible to infections--entering US long-term care (LTC) facilities each year, reducing this population's exposure to environmental pathogens is imperative, especially because many pathogens are becoming increasingly resistant to available treatments. In the NH setting, environmental disinfection is a key component of the infection prevention and control process.

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Catastrophic accidents can call for any life long medical care and constant surgeries. For instance, an individual who suffers a traumatic brain injury may need constant surgical procedures.

The Peck Law Group is aware of the long-term effects of catastrophic and serious personal injury accidents. We will negotiate for fair and just compensation for your personal injuries, including pain and suffering and lost earnings.

A catastrophic personal injury case needs instant professional action Each and every person is entitled to just compensation for their personal injuries.

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The great risks posed by large and heavy commercial trucks driving on the same streets and highways as passenger vehicles are well understood. Catastrophic injuries that result from truck accidents bear evidence to the terrible forces at play when a big rig slams into a smaller car, truck or van. Because big rig wrecks often result in catastrophic injuries -- traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, terrible orthopedic injuries, burns or even death -- truck accident lawsuits often involve not only development of liability theories, but also a complex assessment of the full extent of damages.

A crucial aspect of successfully obtaining full compensation for clients in truck accident cases is identifying all potentially liable parties. To do this, the lawyer must investigate not only the truck driver's role in the accident, but also the extent to which the trucking company, the truck manufacturer or other parties might also have contributed to the cause of the accident.

In Diaz v. Carcamo, the California Supreme Court recently resolved a case involving allegations of a truck driver's negligent actions as well as his employer's negligence in hiring and retaining the driver. At issue was whether, where the trucking company admits vicarious liability for the trucker's negligence, evidence of the company's negligent entrustment is also admissible.

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TYPES OF PRESSURE ULCERS & BED SORES
There are several types of skin ulceration. Pressure ulcers or bedsores occur when the skin is subjected to constant pressure, which is why they happen so frequently in hospitals and in older patients. They generally start as a blister, and then become an open sore, finally ending in a "crater." In addition to pressure ulcers, areas of skin breakdown may be due to other types of ulcers, having to do with insufficient blood flow or to diabetic neuropathy.

Insufficient blood flow through the veins usually occurs in the lower legs, and can result in venous insufficiency ulcers, which are often chronic and difficult to heal. They can cause pain in the foot and usually appear purplish in color. They are never found above the level of the knee or in the forefoot, and may occur singly or in multiples.

A related condition, caused by insufficient blood flow through the arteries, is known as arterial insufficiency ulcers, which are painful lesions that usually occur over the ankle or other areas of the foot. Although they may be seen near bony prominences (i.e., joints), they are distinguished from pressure ulcers by their "punched-out" or star-like appearance. The wound may be pale and dry, surrounded by red and taut skin, and can include an area of dead skin.

Diabetic ulcers occur on the foot, usually over the joints or on the top of the toes. These ulcers often occur on the ball of the foot in diabetic patients, due to neuropathy or repetitive injury. Diabetic foot ulcers are often surrounded by a significant thickening of the skin, and are usually insensitive to touch.

There are other, less common causes of ulcers in the legs and feet, which include connective tissue diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), sickle cell disease, and certain forms of cancer. One's doctor should take special precaution to rule out these more serious conditions before arriving at a diagnosis of an ulcer.

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A new study questions why nursing homes sent many people with advanced dementia to hospitals for problems that could be treated in the home. The study focused on the care of 475,000 people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. These are terminal illnesses. The study looked people's care in their last months of life. It found that nearly 1 out of 5 nursing home residents had such questionable hospital stays.

People were sent to hospitals for treatment of urinary tract infections, pneumonia and dehydration, among other problems. These usually can be treated in a nursing home. The study does not address why the hospital stays occurred. But researchers said money could be one reason. Medicaid is the main payer for nursing home care. But Medicare, the health insurance program for the elderly, will pay for skilled nursing home care right after a hospital stay. The Medicare payment is about 3 times as high as the Medicaid payment.

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