Malpractice or Just Luck of the Draw?

[Brill Weave]

Long story short my sister in law developed diverticulitis which resulted in emergency surgery. They removed part of her colon and she has a colostomy bag currently. She hasn't been released from the hospital. They claimed at the time it was because she hasn't had a bowel movement since the surgery.

Last night they said that she developed MRSA in her stomach and she would be staying indefinitely until the infection is under control. The hospital she went to is pretty small and ratty. It's an independent hospital(not falling under the giant UPMC network here in Pittsburgh.)

Is this something that is fairly common with the procedure she had? Or is this a result of an environment that wasn't sterile?

[Xajii]

I'm sorry to hear that.

Malpractice is a sticky situation and honestly, with a MRSA infection from an extensive short-notice surgery, from my understanding - you'd be fighting a very uphill battle seeking compensation or justice or whatever. It may very well have been their fault, but MRSA is a well-known issue in hospitals worldwide. Surgery always exposes a risk.

This is just from my learning over time. BG has some actual medical personnel who are much more trained to answer this. I hope she gets better and everything works out OK.

[*Shinzon*]

Nothing I say is legal advice, obviously, but unless she was not warned of the side effects/downsides of surgery there really isn't a legal remedy for malpractice. If there is an indication that the doctor somehow did some wrong then you'd have to contact a personal injury/malpractice attorney in your jurisdiction for more advice. Most will provide the advice free of cost and work on a contingent basis if you have a claim.

[Byrthnoth]

You'd probably never get them on malpractice. 5% of hospital patients are colonized/infected with MRSA. Unless you have some actual evidence of malpractice besides the fact that she got infected, I'd say the odds of it even being malpractice is fairly low. If you can, find out the MRSA colonization/infection rate at the hospital. If they were higher than 5% and you could document unsafe behavior by nurses/doctors, etc. then perhaps you could start some kind of class action suit with other people that got MRSA from the hospital. With what you said in the OP, I don't think you have anything.

Hopefully you've managed to putt the demonspawn off to her dad by now at least.

[Ddz]

Was the diverticulitis caused by the MRSA? I'm assuming the emergency surgery was after a previous surgery? What was the original operation?

[Boyiee]

MRSA is unbelievably common, not sure you have anything to fight or worth fighting unless as mentioned previously, you find this hospital has some inflated rate or bad practices by the staff.

Even still, I doubt there is much you can do. Sorry Brill. MRSA has been out of control for several years now.

[BaneTheBrawler]

did they give her an abdominal pillow? bean shaped, pretty firm? cos that shit is VITAL to not being in excruciating pain after an abdominal surgery. if she doesn't have one, see if you can find one. shape matters less than firmness. idea is to hug it to your abdomen to support the muscles and shit that were just sliced open. helps when coughing, pooping, etc. so it shouldn't be too big. i totally had people sign mine like it was a cast.

hope she heals well. shit isn't fun.

[Brill Weave]

Was the diverticulitis caused by the MRSA? I'm assuming the emergency surgery was after a previous surgery? What was the original operation?

No, the MRSA came after the initial diverticulitis surgery. She was having stomach pain for two months or so before actually going to the hospital. That's when they performed the surgery. Had she addressed the issue when it first started bothering her it wouldn't have progressed this far.

[Churchill]

Not gonna get the hospital on MRSA unless you can document that they have more MRSA cases there, are unsanitary, etc.

[Seraph]

Just remember this day in the future when the kid gets his first sinus infection and the doc tries to give you antibiotics for him to take for it...

[Sepukku]

Brill, when I was in the hospital when I developed type 1 diabetes, they expressed concern over me not pooping after 5 days as well (in fact I remember not pissing for an usually long period of time as well) and sent me home but gave me stool softener and a laxative. That concern is not new or unfounded, and especially makes sense if your bowel system was involved with your procedure.

[Tyche]

It's MRSA in the hospital. To say its common is a massive understatement.

My daughter got MRSA after tubes in her ears.

I think 5% is probably low-balling the infection rate in my experience (that was a 2007 study). I work at a top 100 hospital that's less than 2 months old. At any given time, I'd say no less than 3 of our 25 beds are probably isolation from MRSA.

[Brill Weave]

Ok. The wife was asking me what her sister should do. I did the only intelligent thing and sought the counsel of BG!

[Melena]

Threaten the hospital with your hellion niece and see if you get money that way.

[Churchill]

i had a hospital try to sue me recently if that makes you feel better

[Brill Weave]

I don't even want to know what you did lol.

[AoE]

I do.

[Churchill]

I saved someones life improperly, this turned into a big deal apparently.

The guy I saved probably would have sued me too at the request of the hospital/lawyers etc, but I told him straight up that not only was I poor but that I was going to be poor for awhile to come. I steal food to eat and have for the last 2 months, he decided not to try to fuck me and I p.much settled with the hospital who was only doing it because they had to cover their ass as the position I filled for them wasn't a real one.

[Rocl]

i would never stop trying to fuck you bro