Preventing a Hospital Infection – with Dr. Betsy McCaughey

Hospital infections pose a big risk for all of us. On Thursday, October 3, Dr. Betsy McCaughey, founder of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths spoke to Health Advocates members about reducing the risk of getting a hospital infection. Here are some of the important points she covered during her talk.

Dr. Betsy McCaughey

You may not know that the biggest risk factor for a hospital infection is your hospital room itself! Your risk of getting a hospital infection goes up more than 500% if the patient in the room before you had one. Adequate cleaning addresses this risk. But, a study of 1,100 hospital rooms found that ½ of the objects in the room that are supposed to be cleaned between patients are not. Wiping the surfaces around the bed with a bleach wipe reduces risk of one of the most common infections by more than 80% -- ask a friend or family member to bring these when they visit. Other big risks can come from medical personnel who do not wash their hands and a lack of toothbrushing. Don’t be afraid to bring these issues up with your providers and mention them to your loved ones so that they can look out for you.

Advance preparation is also a plus. Bathe with Chlorhexidine liquid soap which you can get at drugstores. It will reduce your risk of infection at surgical site. Don’t shave prior to surgery this can leave small and vulnerable nicks in your skin. And, by all means, if you are a smoker – stop! Smoking makes it harder to fight infection.

The Committee to Reduce Infection Death website has many resources and tips. Please visit www.hospitalinfection.org to learn more.