What Are Catheter Injuries?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Hospital-Acquired Urinary Tract Infections kill more than 13,000 hospital patients yearly, representing more than 15% of all infections acquired in a hospital. The only type of hospital-acquired infection responsible for more deaths is pneumonia.

Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) is considered preventable in 69% of cases and is classified as a “never event”, since it should never happen. However, despite their preventable nature, CAUTIs happen all too often. 

There are many different types of catheters, including indwelling catheters (also called Foley catheters), open-access catheters, and more. Variations in training and procedures in medical facilities can create a dangerous potential for infection.

If you or a loved one has recently suffered from one of these injuries, you may need legal assistance. In this short guide, you’ll learn about urethral injury and its causes. You’ll also find out when these injuries can be considered medical malpractice. 

Common Types of Catheter Injuries and Their Causes

Many types of urethral trauma can result from improper use of catheters. The male urethra is very sensitive to infection and injury when proper procedure isn’t followed. 

A 2013 study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) identified over one million CAUTIs in U.S. hospitals annually from urethral catheterization. The report noted the shocking finding that most of these infections resulted from “unnecessary catheter placement” in male patients.

Men are susceptible to complications of UTIs from urinary catheters. Many serious penile injuries can result, including:

• Pyelonephritis
• Prostatitis
• Orchitis
• Epididymitis
• Cystitis
• Gram-negative bacteremia

Men and women are susceptible to other complications from the improper use of catheters, including:

• Meningitis
• Septic arthritis
• Vertebral osteomyelitis
• Endocarditis
• Incontinence
• Urethral stricture
• Urethral disruption
• Perforation
• Blunt trauma

Recognizing Symptoms of Catheter-Related Injuries

If you or a loved one have suffered a catheter injury, many symptoms may follow. Depending on the type of injury, the symptoms may appear immediately or worsen over the coming weeks.

• Swelling: After a urethral catheter has been removed, any incidence of swelling may mean infection. These conditions should be watched closely, and you should seek medical attention if it or other symptoms of infection appear. 
• Inflammation: This symptom may also be evidence of infection, though symptoms can signal muscle or tissue injuries. Many injuries that cause inflammation are serious.
• Pain in the belly: This pain can signal serious dysfunction following a catheter injury. Seek medical intervention as soon as possible if you experience pain in the belly, especially if it is combined with difficulty with urination or continence.
• Not being able to pass urine 
• Urine building up in the bladder
• Blood in the urine (“hematuria”)

If you suspect an injury has occurred due to improper catheter insertion or use, you or your loved one should schedule a follow-up medical exam to assess the injury as soon as possible. Your new examination should be performed by a doctor or hospital that is different from the one that may have been responsible for your injury.

Your new medical examination should help you understand your injury. An X-ray or CT scan may be necessary to determine the extent of your injury. This may be just the beginning of the medical 

When is a Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Medical Malpractice?

Since CAUTIs are seen as “never events”, there is a reasonable chance that a Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection and subsequent injuries* or wrongful death was caused by medical malpractice (negligence). A medical malpractice attorney will examine each case and inform you of your legal rights. He or she will look to see if a case can be built on the following four elements:

1. Patient-doctor relationship: The injured party must have been treated by the medical professional or at the hospital within a reasonable timeframe before the infection began.
2. Standard of care was not met: It must be proven that the health care provider or hospital acted negligently and that there was a deviation from the reasonable standard of care expected from a qualified peer under similar circumstances. To make this determination, expert medical witnesses will evaluate and testify about patient risk factors like prior health conditions, organizational risk factors such as communication breakdowns and iatrogenic risk factors, and basic sanitation and health practices.
3. Negligence: Evidence that the physician or hospital’s negligence was directly responsible for the patient’s injuries.
4. Damages: Evidence that the injury caused calculable damages to the patient or their direct family members, including pain and suffering, medical bills, ongoing healthcare needs, lost wages, permanent impairment, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of emotional support, funeral expenses, and more.

Discuss Your Case with a Seattle Medical Malpractice Specialist 

If you or a loved one has suffered serious personal injury or wrongful death from a catheter-associated urinary tract infection, it is in your interest to seek a consultation with a dedicated medical malpractice lawyer. They know the laws in your state and may be able to fight for damages to help you recoup losses and compensate for pain and suffering.

Our Seattle medical malpractice lawyers have years of experience representing families harmed by medical malpractice and other types of negligence. We seek justice for patients who have been harmed by preventable medical errors, including birth injuries, hospital-acquired infections, and wrongful death in Seattle and across Washington State. 

There are no fees or expenses to file a personal injury case; we only receive payment if we recover damages on your behalf. Do not delay; personal injury claims have a statute of limitations, which means they must be filed within a certain time frame of the injury.

Call us now at (206) 752-4366 or contact us using our catheter injury contact form to schedule a free consultation with one of our compassionate, experienced attorneys.