What Can I Do If My Loved One Suffers a Breathing Tube Injury in an Illinois Nursing Home? 

 Posted on February 07,2022 in Nursing Home Abuse

Some Illinois nursing home residents have difficulty breathing by themselves. Many medical respiratory issues can cause breathing difficulties, such as pneumonia, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Traumatic brain injuries and degenerative brain disease can also make independent breathing difficult. When a patient in a nursing home struggles to breathe independently, intubation may be necessary.  

Putting a plastic tube into a patient’s airway, or intubation, is a fairly common procedure. But the sensitive tissue in human airways means medical staff must exercise caution when inserting, removing, or adjusting the tube. Sometimes improperly administered breathing tubes can cause serious enough damage that a patient can die. If someone you love has been hurt or killed by a breathing tube injury in their nursing home, you may want to speak with an attorney. 

What are Common Injuries Resulting From Breathing Tubes? 

Breathing tube injuries are most likely to happen in an emergency when medical staff have to act with urgency and complicating factors may already be present. But even during standard procedures, serious injuries may result. They include, but are not limited to: 

• Respiratory distress

• Subcutaneous emphysema

• Vocal cord damage

• Infection 

• Chest cavity puncture

• Lung collapse

• Fluid buildup 

• Throat and tracheal injuries 

• Speech difficulties 

• Pneumonia 

Sometimes, patients who are not sedated or aware of what is going on may experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being intubated. For patients with degenerative brain disorders, appropriate sedation or restraint may be necessary. 

When is a Mistake Medical Malpractice? 

Medicine is not a perfect science and even the best doctors and nurses cannot always anticipate complications. Not every mistake a nursing home staff makes when intubating a resident will rise to the level of medical malpractice. But if your loved one’s injury happened because of a medical professional who failed to treat your loved one with the recognized standard of care, he or she may be responsible for any harm that results. 

Meet with a Cook County Nursing Home Injuries Lawyer

Breathing tubes are necessary for many patients but when they are incorrectly used by staff, this can lead to needless suffering and complications. If you have concerns about how your nursing home is addressing serious issues pertaining to your loved one, call the experienced Cook County nursing home injuries attorneys with Schwartz Injury Law. We advocate aggressively to protect our clients and we have a proven track record of impressive results. Call us today at 312-535-4625. 

Sources: 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3315660/ 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323696