Infections From Biopsies Occur And Can Become Very Serious

Any procedure, no matter how big nor how small, can carry the risk of infection. Some procedures carry the risk more than other procedures, but all procedures can carry this risk. Infections can be simple to treat. But in some instances, infections can result in bacteria which is resistant to drugs or medication. These “superbugs” can be very difficult to treat and result in the death of a patient.

This is why it is always important to prevent infection which, when following the proper protocol, can be relatively easy to prevent. After all, sterilization and proper washing of the procedure site and the healthcare provider site where the procedure will take place is the strongest way to prevent infections.

However, sometimes infections are more likely to occur in certain procedures. One such procedure is a biopsy. This is where the healthcare professional intentionally takes a sample of a patient’s body to review it. A biopsy can be performed almost anywhere, from a lump in a breast to a suspicious shadow in a liver. These can also be very painful to perform.

Whenever there is an infection going into a patient, especially where the biopsy is in the center cavity such as for the kidneys, liver, stomach, intestines, and other areas of the body, there is a highest risk of infection. This is true to of the esophagus, prostate, rectum, sigmoid colon, and nose. These areas are more likely to have an infection because there is a lot of food or waste coming in or out of the body.

This is why a medical professional must use particular care in performing biopsies for these specific areas of the body. It can be even more likely that an infection occurs here which can result in a serious and wide-spread infection. It can even get to the point where the infection become septic, which is an infection of the blood and can result in a life-threatening condition which can result in amputation or death.

It is quite horrific for a patient to go in for a simple biopsy and come out with a life-threatening infection—if the patient even survives. If a healthcare professional causes an infection after a biopsy, should he or she be liable for medical malpractice? Of course!