Hospital Infections - More Superbugs to Know About

We are all familiar with MRSA (Staphlocous), a well-known hospital-acquired infection that is extremely hard to treat. According to a February 26 article in the New York Times, another class of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is causing tens of thousands of deaths each year. Antibiotics to treat them are very old and cause severe kidney damage. In March 2009, I wrote an article about the things you can do to minimize hospital infections. I thought it important to repeat the guidelines to help prevent these infections. If you or someone you know is in the hospital, please make them aware of this and pass these guidelines along to them.
• If you have a choice, choose a hospital where the infection rate is low.
• Prior to admission to the hospital, ask if the rooms, all furniture & equipment are cleaned with Clorox between patients. If not, take a spray bottle of chlorine-based cleanser with you and clean the room or have someone do it for you.
• Be sure linens and hospital gowns are changed daily and the room is kept clean.
• Make sure all staff wash hands or change gloves between patients. Be aware that another deadly bacterium, c.difficile is not killed by alcohol, so the alcohol cleansers may not protect you.
• If a provider is wearing a tie, ask to him remove it or tuck it in and wash his hands again before he leans over you.
• Make sure all instruments such as stethoscopes have been cleanse before they touch you.
• Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and after using the bathroom.
• Insist that visitors wash their hands when they come into your room and before they touch you and your belongings.
• If a materials used in your care is dropped on the floor, make sure it is discarded and replaced.
• Almost 50 percent of infections acquired in hospitals are bladder and kidney infections, which increase considerably if you have a catheter, even greater if you have a catheter more than two days. Make sure the staff washes their hands before touching you.
• Be you know the proper home procedures for taking care of your wound after surgery.
• Some surgeries have a high probability of post-operative infection. Ask your doctor if your surgery requires pre or post-operative antibiotics and the best time to receive them.
• Body temperature lowers during surgery, which can affect blood flow and your immune system, increasing your chance for infection. Surgical units are usually quite cool. Ask your doctor if they can do something to keep your body warm.

To learn more go to www.savvypatienttoolkit.com