The following are some tips and precautions you can take when going to the hospital to prevent infections and stay safe:
- Before going to the hospital, if possible, research the risks of infections and mortality rate compared to other hospitals in your area. This data is published and can found via an internet search.
- You may want to bring a friend or a family member to help you ask questions you have and/or take notes on directions and explanations the medical staff may be telling you. Research shows if you go to the hospital accompanied you are more likely to be treated better by medical staff. Having someone keep you company can be very helpful when there is reduced staff at the hospital.
- Write down notes so that you can recall directions doctors or nurses may give you.
- Make sure you and everybody that comes into your room has washed their hands with water and soap, hand sanitizers do not kill all bacteria such as C. diff.
- Bring sanitizing wipes to clean rails, controls, phones, etc. You can also ask your room to be cleaned if it is messy when you arrived
- If you had surgery your doctor will have to check your incisions to see if they are healing properly, but by opening the bandage you are exposing your wound to various infections. Before going into to surgery you can ask your surgeon if he is able to skin glue as opposed to staples and waterproof dressings(last about 3 weeks without opening) which will reduce chances of infection.
- Ask everyday if you still require IVs and urinary catheters, the longer they are in the higher the infection risk is
- Delay surgery if you have an infection. You should wait until the infection is resolved before you have surgery because it could cause another infection or even worsen the current infection.
- It is often necessary to remove hair from the surgical site, and it is important for the nurse to use electric trimmers as opposed to razors because they provide an opening for bacteria
- If possible, before going to the hospital call and ask if you should take precautions such as bathing with a special soap or using antiseptic wipes.
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