As a Greenville SC medical malpractice lawyer, the continuing story of Greenville Hospital infection at the Greenville Health System is alarming, frightening, and serious. Media outlets are now reporting that a fourth patient has died from an infection the patients received while at the Greenville Health System. Other patients are experiencing painful infections and battling for their lives against the infections that have set in. From reading all the various media reports and patient stories in the media, patients with the infection do not know whether they will or will not survive the infection. Even more alarming is that according to media reports, 15 patients have been officially diagnosed with the infecton. However, 150 more patients are at risk of developing the infection. To me, this sounds almost like a story about medical care in a remote third world village!
About a month ago, the story broke that patients at the Greenville Health System had been diagnosed with infection developed during medical procedures at the Greenville Health System. At first, the Greenville Health System explanation was that the infection was linked to a piece of medical equipment in a surgical suite. As government investigators became involved, including the Centers for Disease Control and South Carolina DHEC, the public has been informed that the source of the infection was tap water apparently in various locations throughout Greenville Memorial Hospital. The infection is linked to a bacteria called mycobacterium abscessus. In one media report, an epidemiologist stated that Mycobacterium abscessus is not rare.
In the coming weeks, months, and years, investigations are going to have to made to determine just how did mycobacterium abscessus invade the tap water at the Greenville Health System and how did it come into contact with patients. Another question that will need to be answered is: has this type of outbreak ever happened at the Greenville Health System before? Is there an infection history that has not been disclosed? If there has never been an infection like this before at the Greenville Health System, then how did it happen in this outbreak?
As a medical malpractice lawyer in Greenville SC, this story of Greenville hospital infection is very alarming. If you, your loved one, a family member or a close friend has become infected with a Greenville hospital infection from the recent outbreak at Greenville Health System or if you have received a letter from the Greenville Health system informing you that you may have been exposed to the infection, feel free to call our offices at 235-4999 in Greenville for a free consultation.