It’s estimated 1 in 25 patients contract an infection from the hospital. The Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths says patients need to actively try to protect themselves.
Most importantly make sure visitors and doctors wash their hands before coming near you. Committee Founder Dr. Betsy McCaughey says, “it’s hard to do, patients are intimidated by those white coats and nurses uniforms, but you can be saving your life by asking them to do that.”
She says doctors should also wipe their stethoscopes in between patients. Research shows wiping down surfaces around the hospital bed can reduce some infections up to 80 percent,
Dr. McCaughey recommends that you take antibacterial wipes to the hospital with you and wipe high touch surfaces like the bed rails, the over-the-bed table, the call button, and the television clicker.
Other steps you can take include choosing a hospital and surgeon with low infection rates and bathing with chlorhexidine soap days before surgery, to remove harmful bacteria you may be carrying on your skin.