Pressure-wound and bone-infection case at Doctors Hospital of Augusta
This complaint states as follows: The patient suffers from Downs Syndrome and was housed at Doctors Hospital of Augusta (DHA) pending placement in a nursing home. The patient was at high risk of developing pressure wounds. Despite repeatedly noting the presence of pressure wounds, the nurse and physician staff did essentially nothing to treat the wounds and prevent them from worsening. By the time any physician provided treatment, the patient had a deep, infected wound on her buttock area. The wound has never healed. It is chronic, and debilitating.
Overview
This page concerns a high-risk patient housed at Doctors Hospital of Augusta while awaiting nursing-home placement, where pressure wounds allegedly were repeatedly noted but not adequately treated or prevented from worsening until a deep infected wound developed and became chronic and debilitating.
Chronology
The complaint alleges as follows:
- The patient was housed at Doctors Hospital of Augusta (DHA) pending placement in a nursing home.
- Because she was at high risk of developing pressure wounds, prevention and treatment were especially important.
- Despite repeatedly noting the presence of pressure wounds, nurse and physician staff allegedly did essentially nothing to treat the wounds and prevent them from worsening.
- By the time any physician provided treatment, the patient had a deep infected wound on her buttock area, and the wound has never healed.
Alleged failures
The complaint alleges the following failures:
- Nurse and physician staff allegedly failed to prevent pressure wounds in a patient known to be at high risk.
- Staff allegedly did essentially nothing to treat repeatedly noted pressure wounds before they worsened.
- The delay in treatment allegedly allowed a deep infected wound to develop and become chronic and debilitating.