With my elderly father hospitalized due to a fall last week, I have not had time to write for this Florida Senior Living Advisor blog. So I am thankful to Barbara Dunn of haiwatch.com for submitting this guest post on healthcare associated infections. It is particularly timely information for me as my father now goes on his fourth day in the hospital. With his body weak from the fall, I can easily see how he might be susceptible to infection. And the Hand Hygiene guide offers useful information for all of us – young, old, hospitalized or not.

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When someone enters the hospital, he expects to get better of course, not worse. Unfortunately, all too often patients become terribly ill from an infection they didn’t have before entering the hospital. These infections are known as HAIs – healthcare associated infections or hospital acquired infections. With the increase in resistant bacteria, HAIs are on the rise. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at any point in time, 1.4 million people worldwide are suffering from infections acquired in hospitals.

Unfortunately, hospital or clinic visits are almost unavoidable and usually unplanned. That is one reason it’s even more important for anyone to know the basics of HAI prevention. Surprisingly (or perhaps not surprisingly) the most important methods to prevent HAIs are simple hygiene and sanitation. Cross contamination, also called contact transfer, is the number one cause of HAIs and fortunately, the easiest to tackle. See the following PDF with patient tips:

Patient’sGuide to Hand Hygiene

Two other common HAI types are ventilator-associated Pneumonia (VAP) and Surgical Site Infections (SSIs). There are things both patients and health care professionals can do to prevent HAIs. The ‘Not on My Watch’ Campaign aims to educate both groups about the best ways to prevent infections.  

You can get more information on healthcare associated infections at www.haiwatch.com.