Medical negligence claims and steno, another 'superbug'

While most news about superbug-related medical negligence claims centres on MRSA, this is not the only organism that resists antibiotic treatment in hospitals.

Another is Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, commonly known as steno. Unlike MRSA, its resistance to antibiotics is natural, not an acquired resistance. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are almost entirely useless, and some commonly used treatments for focused treatment are variable in their effects, or even becoming less effective.

However, it is also a rare condition, with only 1000 cases reported in 2006. Of these cases, 30% proved fatal.

Steno will colonise breathing tubes and catheters, creating a 'biofilm' that is very difficult to clean away. While it is rarely a source of infection in people with a healthy immune system, a compromised immune system can allow the organism to cause infections in the urinary tract, lungs or bloodstream.

Its appearance on hospital equipment can also mean that its presence in a tissue sample need not mean that the patient is infected; this makes diagnosis more difficult.

Research continues to discover ways to battle this 'superbug'.

Making a superbug medical negligence claim with YouClaim
If you, or someone you love, has been affected by clinical negligence, YouClaim may be able to help you. Our advisors will be able to discuss your situation sensitively, and in plain English, and lend you aid in deciding whether you have a good chance of succeeding in your personal injury compensation claim.

If you decide to proceed, we can also provide you with access to one of the UK's finest panels of medical negligence compensation solicitors, wherever you live. We will do all we can to bring your claim to its best conclusion, and endeavour to keep the unavoidable costs of a clinical negligence claim to the minimum, and to reimburse you in a successful claim. Furthermore, if successful, we will pass 100 percent compensation on to you, taking no cut ourselves.

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Contact us today, either through this site's chat window and claim form, or through our free UK hotline - 0800 10 757 95. We look forward to helping with your medical negligence claim.