The bodies of transplant patients are under a great deal of stress. Their immune systems are often depressed, making them more susceptible to bacteria, mold, fungus and viruses. A transplant patient who contracts an infection while in a hospital here in Illinois or elsewhere in the country could be the victim of hospital negligence.
This is what one man claims happened to him at a hospital in his area. He went into the hospital for a double lung transplant. While there, he contracted a fungal infection from mold that was present in the hospital. He claims that he was placed in a room that increased his susceptibility and exposure to the mold. He had not even had his new lungs for a month when part of them had to be removed because of the infection.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, three other organ recipients contracted an infection at the same Pennsylvania hospital. It is believed they contracted the infection in a “negative room,” which is ordinarily used for individuals who are already infected. Those three patients died. This man was fortunate enough to survive but, at last report, remained hospitalized.
Since then, he has done what many Illinois residents would do — he filed a lawsuit alleging hospital negligence. If the evidence indicates that negligence occurred and caused his further health issues, the court could award him damages. Any monetary restitution received could help with his current and future medical care, among other financial losses. It might also prompt the hospital to make any changes necessary to prevent anyone else from suffering the same fate as him or the three other recipients who died.
Source: Fox News, “Patient sues Pittsburgh hospital over mold outbreak”, Jan. 5, 2016