An unchecked infection could result in a life-threatening condition known as sepsis.  Sepsis must be treated immediately because it could result in irreparable harm to a patient.  One type of irreparable harm caused to a patient due to sepsis is an amputation or loss of a limb.  If a patient is not wrongfully killed due to the lack of treatment of sepsis, the loss of a patient’s limbs, toes, or fingers is a common outcome.  This is because the septic response by the body is very caustic and damaging.  The weakest and must susceptible parts of a person’s body are the most peripheral parts of the body, such as the fingers and toes.  If you have been diagnosed with any infection or sepsis and suffered any amputations, please call our Oregon sepsis and amputation lawyers to learn whether you were the victim of medical malpractice.

Unfortunately, far too many patients have unnecessary amputations due to sepsis and infection.  This occurs due to the delay in diagnosis, misdiagnosis, or improper treatment of the infection or sepsis.  If the infection is allowed to grow and become more prolific, and if the septic response is not quickly reversed, it could result in devastating injury to a patient due to preventable medical malpractice.  These unnecessary injuries, including wrongful death and preventable amputations, have life-changing impacts on patients and their families.

Understanding Sepsis

When an infectious agent is allowed to grow strong enough that it spreads to various parts of the body, a person could have a septic response and develop sepsis.  Sepsis is that response by the body to the overwhelming amount of an infection.  The body releases a powerful immune system response to kill the infection throughout a person’s body.  

While this response is usually effective at killing the infection, it causes a lot of collateral damage to the body.  This is because the body is using the septic response as a last-ditch effort to fight off a potentially deadly infection.  The natural process is to allow damage to non-essential parts of the body to protect the essential parts, such as the torso and head.  This response is also seen with other bodily response, including oxygen deprivation or blood loss.  But as a result, fingers, toes, feet, hands, and even arms or legs are potentially irreversibly damaged.  This could result in an amputation.

But it should not come to that point of an amputation with the proper care and treatment to prevent the infection, stop the infection, or timely stop the septic response.  When it continues to this point, it could be catastrophic.

Oregon Medical Malpractice Resulting in Amputations After Sepsis

There are generally three causes with medical malpractice regarding sepsis and amputations.  Each of these issues may have smaller, more specific issues, however the overall principle is that the healthcare providers failed to properly treat a patient within the standard of care required by all healthcare providers.  The three general causes of sepsis and amputations include the following:

1. Causing the Infection and Sepsis – Hospital-acquired infections are one of the most devastating type of infection that a patient could contract.  These infections are usually drug-resistant and very destructive.  Unfortunately, they are also commonly due to the lack of proper care, treatment, or sterilization of a hospital room or equipment.  Causing the infection or sepsis that results in an amputation is a very serious medical malpractice case.
2. Failing to Timely Treat Sepsis – You do not need to be a doctor to know that an infection is dangerous.  When an infection is so prolific that it spreads throughout your body and becomes sepsis, it can result in catastrophic damage.  Most instances of infection and sepsis can be treated with strong antibiotics, pain medications, and IV fluids.  The delay in treating sepsis and providing certain medications can result in these catastrophic injuries such as an amputation.
3. Overreacting and Causing Premature or Unnecessary Amputations – Amputating a limb should be a last resort.  But some healthcare providers inexplicably react too quickly and without proper imaging, tests, and second opinions before amputating a person’s limb or limbs.  Even the amputations of toes or fingers could have life-altering consequences.  Patients who have had amputations due to sepsis may have been victims of unnecessary or premature amputations.

Bend/Portland, Oregon Sepsis and Amputation Lawyers

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form.  We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.  

We handle cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, and Hillsboro.  

We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.  

Please act quickly, there is a limited time (Statute of Limitations) in which you can bring a claim under the law.