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Could your hospital be sued because of unsanitary conditions?

Accreditation Connection, September 3, 2004

Jewish Hospital in Louisville, KY, will meet 20 plaintiffs in court over lawsuits that allege unsanitary conditions led to patient illnesses and deaths.

All but four of the cases contend that the patients became infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococccus aureus (MRSA), according to the Courier-Journal, which detailed the lawsuits. The other four cases raise allegations of other infections.

Specific suits alleged that staff members placed patients in rooms before housekeepers cleaned the areas, the hospital failed to employ enough nurses and cleaning crews, workers left blood and feces on floors and walls, and employees didn't wash their hands or wear masks or gloves when they should have.

The hospital's president denied the accusations and predicted a court victory in a press statement. Hospital officials said that MRSA is a common bacteria that hits critically ill patients and is not unique to their facility. Further, the hospital stated that it champions infection control efforts.
MRSA is a strain of a staph infection that resists antibiotics. It usually develops in hospitalized patients who are elderly or very sick, or who have an open wound or a tube going into their body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Standard precautions to prevent MRSA infections include the following:

* Performing proper hand hygiene
* Wearing gloves, masks, eye protection, and gowns to protect against blood and body fluid exposures
* Properly handling soiled or bloody equipment and laundry

For more information about MRSA, go to: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/Aresist/mrsa.htm.

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