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03/28/14   |   By

Over 200 Patients Die Daily From Hospital-Associated Infections, Report Shows | DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, founding member and partner

Results from the recently-published Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2011 hospital survey indicate that, despite progress in recent years, the deadly health-care problem of infection continues. According to survey results reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, an estimated 648,000 patients suffered from 721,000 healthcare-associated infections and 75,000 died from them. In his press release, CDC Director Tom Frieden said, “Today and every day, more than 200 Americans with healthcare-associated infections will die during their hospital stay.”  The most common infections include:

  • pneumonia  -22%
  • surgical site infections – 22%
  • gastrointestinal infections – 17%
  • urinary tract infections – 13%
  • blood stream infections – 10%

Many antibiotic-resistant bacteria are prevalent in hospitals, including Clostridium difficile (C. diff) and methicillin-resistant staphyloccus aureus (MRSA). As a result, new approaches to controlling bacteria in hospitals have become necessary. Overuse of antibiotics is now discouraged with the hope that some will become more effective again. The proposed federal budget for 2015 includes additional funding for battling antibiotic resistance.

In his statement about the survey results, Mr. Frieden said, “We go to the hospital hoping to become better, and mostly we do, but not always.” I hope that hospitals take more aggressive measures to protect their patients from hospital-borne infections. Lives depend on it.

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Mr. Zambri is a board-certified civil trial attorney by the National Board of Trial Advocates and a Past-President of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. The association recently named him “Trial Lawyer of the Year” (2011).  He has been rated by Washingtonian magazine as a “Big Gun” and among the “top 100” lawyers (out of more than 80,000 attorneys) in the entire metropolitan area. The magazine also describes him as “one of Washington’s best–most honest and effective lawyers” who specializes in personal injury matters, including automobile accident claims, premises liability, product liability, medical malpractice, and work-accident claims. He has successfully litigated multiple cases against truck and bus companies, the Washington Metropolitan Area transit Authority, and other automobile owners.  His law firm, in fact, has obtained the largest settlement ever in a personal injury case involving WMATA.  Mr. Zambri has also been acknowledged as one of “The Best Lawyers in America” by Best Lawyers (2014 edition) and has been repeatedly named a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyer magazine (March/April 2013)– national publications that honor the top lawyers in America.

If you have any questions about your legal rights, please email Mr. Zambri at [email protected] or call him at 202-822-1899.

Regan Zambri Long
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