Fear Of Lawsuits Hides Major Hospital Epidemic

Experts posit a number of reasons why no one knows the full extent of hospital acquired antibiotic-resistant infections, but fear of lawsuits is high on the list. This article primarily deals with the problem in California, but makes clear it’s a national issue. One way it manifests itself is in the information entered on death certificates. Very often the initial presenting condition rather than the hospital-acquired infection is listed as the cause of death. Sometimes it’s the result of a haphazard process without clear rules, and sometimes it’s a policy that among other things preserves reputations and helps fend off lawsuits. One group of researchers suggests that if the count was made based on billing records rather than death certificates, infection – hospital-acquired or otherwise – would replace heart disease and cancer as the leading cause of death in hospitals.