Missoulian Home | Features | Homestyle | Lawn & Garden | Body & More | Beautiful Weddings
 |
||||
Clean Bill of Health When it comes to a hospital stay, asking the right questions can help prevent infection 
Crisp, white sheets. Special robes. Check-in times. Gift shops. Room service. Sounds like a five-star hotel, not a hospital. But for many patients, family members and visitors, hospitals are expected to be the epitome of clean, sterile service environments. In an increasingly germ-centric society in which anti-bacterial containers litter desks, bags and car compartments, and the welcoming smell of a home-cooked meal has been replaced with the vapors of Bleach, experts advise patients to examine just how clean their hospital is. The cleanliness of a hospital stay can depend on the alertness of its visitors. Nancy Foster, vice president of quality and patient safety policy with the American Hospital Association, Washington, D.C., says patients and their families should work with physicians and nurses like a team. �We�re fighting this never ending battle as healthcare professionals. It�s an unseen enemy that none of us can detect with our unaided eyes,� she says. �And try as we might, sometimes those ugly germs can slip through. So asking questions and being part of the team and working with your clinician if you detect something that�s not right is important.� One of the biggest mistakes patients and families make, she says, is not asking enough questions of both physicians and visitors. �Any patient should feel comfortable if you see someone come into your room who�s going to touch you � a physician, nurse, a family member � ask them to wash their hands,� she says. �It won�t be considered rude. It�s a basic infection prevention step anyone can take.� And while Foster says that needles should never be re-used and patients should always see the needle being removed from the package, asking about other instruments� cleanliness might not be so obvious. �You should ask if that [X-ray] table has been cleaned,� she says. �Just ask. The fact that people are very concerned about the transmission of infection is not a surprise to health care professionals. And if it�s asked in a way that�s not hostile, they will welcome it.� |
||||
|
||||
