Patient is Infected by Contaminated Surgical Equipment

ByJoseph O'Neill

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Updated onJanuary 10, 2022

Patient is Infected by Contaminated Surgical Equipment

This case takes place in New York and involves a female patient who presented to her primary care physician with what she believed to be an infection in a wound on her stomach. Her doctor examined the would, and prescribed a course of antibiotics with instructions to follow up in a week. Just a few days later, she presented to the hospital with pain and redness in and around the wound and was diagnosed with an antibiotic-resistant infection. The infection eventually spread to her artificial hip, which had been implanted after the patient received the wound on her stomach which became infected. It is alleged that bacteria from the infected would on her stomach was allowed to contaminate instruments used during her hip implant surgery. An equipment appraisal expert witness was sought to opine on the case.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Have you treated patients with this particular infection in the past?

2. Is it possible that the bacteria in the wound could spread to and infect a hip replacement?

3. Have you ever seen or reviewed a similar case in the past?

Expert Witness Response E-000984

inline imageI have treated thousands of cases of this particular infection in a variety of different patient populations. It is certainly possible for the infection to spread from the a wound similar to the one located to the patient's hip prosthesis, most likely via blood-borne spread (hematogenous). I have reviewed a similar case in the past. As a board certified Infectious Diseases specialist with clinical focus on drug-resistant bacteria, I am well qualified to review this case.

About the author

Joseph O'Neill

Joseph O'Neill

Joe has extensive experience in online journalism and technical writing across a range of legal topics, including personal injury, meidcal malpractice, mass torts, consumer litigation, commercial litigation, and more. Joe spent close to six years working at Expert Institute, finishing up his role here as Director of Marketing. He has considerable knowledge across an array of legal topics pertaining to expert witnesses. Currently, Joe servces as Owner and Demand Generation Consultant at LightSail Consulting.

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