You felt that the nursing home you and your family selected for your mother was one of the best in the area.
However, it was alarming to learn that she suffered a misdiagnosed MRSA infection. What happens now?
About MRSA
The official name for MRSA is Methicillin-resistant S. aureus. It is a staph infection that is hard to treat because of its resistance to many antibiotics. Nursing home residents are at risk due to their advanced age and weaker immune systems and because many already have underlying health issues. MRSA spreads through contact with items that have been in contact with the skin of an infected person, such as sheets, clothing and dressings. The infection can enter the body through sores or cuts and even through the use of catheters and other medical devices.
MRSA treatment
For elderly people, bacterial pneumonia, toxic shock syndrome, sepsis and endocarditis are among the most severe results if MRSA enters the body. Nursing home staff must isolate a patient to keep the infection from spreading and those treating the patient must wear masks, gowns and gloves. Serious infections usually require antibiotics administered intravenously as well as oxygen therapy.
Potential malpractice
If staph or MRSA are properly identified and treated at the outset, most patients can recover with relative ease. However, nursing homes are often short on staff. A doctor may not see a potentially infected resident in a timely manner or may mistake the infection for another condition. Is this what happened to your mom? If a misdiagnosis has caused your mother’s health to worsen, you and your family may want to consider filing a lawsuit for medical malpractice.