University of Chicago: Hit with Unsafe Discharge Lawsuit After Hospital-acquired Bedsore

Greg Vigna advocates for families affected by hospital neglect in pressure injury cases, emphasizing ethical care and proper treatment for bedsores

SANTA BARBARA , CA, UNITED STATES, February 20, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “We represent the Estate of Betty Bell, deceased, who we allege was not provided the standard of care by the University of Chicago for a severe hospital-acquired pressure injury to her sacrum. We expect hospitals to take care of serious bedsores in-house, as discharging the injured to nursing homes is unsafe and not supported by the literature. Clearly, discharging a patient with a severe pressure injury to a nursing home is inconsistent with the ethical obligations of both physicians and hospitals,” Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national malpractice attorney, Board Certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national decubitus ulcer attorney, former long-term acute care hospital physician, “We represent the Estate of Betty J. Bell, where the deceased was admitted for care related to vascular disease at the University of Chicago. We allege that the hospital failed to provide routine bedside care of a dependent patient on repositioning and failed to provide the standard of care required for a serious pressure injury they caused. Instead, they discharged her to a nursing home.”

What is the prognosis for a patient with a pelvic Stage IV decubitus ulcer complicated by osteomyelitis?

“Within 1 year, 56 (63%) patients were readmitted, 38 (44%) patients were readmitted due to complications from osteomyelitis, and 15 (17%) died.

Among patients with decubitus-related osteomyelitis who did not undergo myocutaneous flapping, outcomes were generally poor regardless of treatment, and not significantly improved with prolonged antibiotics.”

Read Dr. Damioli’s article: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20499361231196664

What does the Wound Healing Society Guidelines 2023 update say about flaps for cure?

“Preamble: Surgical treatment of pressure injury/ulcers is often considered to be a final invasive choice for wounds refractory to less aggressive care or for use when rapid closure is indicated, however, recent literature suggests that surgery can and should be performed safely in properly selected patients.”

Read the WHS guidelines: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/wrr.13130

Dr. Vigna adds, “Patients with serious pressure injuries can be salvaged with a clinitron bed, nutritional support, surgical debridement, and flap closure with intravenous antibiotic coverage after the patient wounds began to develop granulation tissue. It isn’t hard for hospitals to provide effective care for these patients, especially in this case, given the resources and medical staff at the University of Chicago. Simply discharging patients with serious bedsores to nursing homes goes against the standard of care and the ethical obligations of physicians and hospitals.”

Read Dr. Tran’s article “National perioperative outcome of flap coverage for pressure ulcers from 2005 to 2015 using American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program” published in the Archives of Plastic Surgery Vol. 45, No. 5, September 2018: https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.5999/aps.2018.00262

Greg Vigna, MD, JD, is a national malpractice attorney who has managed hundreds of patients with serious bedsores pre-flap and post-flap. He is available for legal consultation for families and patients who have suffered decubitus ulcers due to poor nursing care at hospitals, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities. The Vigna Law Group, along with Ben C. Martin, Esq., of the Ben Martin Law Group, a Dallas, Texas national pharmaceutical injury law firm, jointly prosecute hospital and nursing home neglect cases that result in bedsores nationwide on a non-exclusive basis.

Case Number: 2025L063019
Cook County, IL

Greg Vigna, MD, JD
Vigna Law Group
+1 817-809-9023
email us here
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