Taking a trip to the doctor isn't something most people look forward to. In fact, if we had the choice to be healthy 100% of the time and to have absolutely no medical woes or worries, I'm sure we'd choose not to go to the doctor. Sadly, that isn't the world we live in and we'll all most likely visit a doctor's office again in the future. While going to the doctor's office is hard enough, one must also consider healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, one out of every 25 patients will acquire an HAI. These HAIs are a leading cause of illness and sometimes even death, costing the healthcare system in the United States billions of dollars every year. While one out of 25 isn't anything close to ideal, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has tracked certain HAIs as decreasing in recent years, and according to the CDC, there are various steps hospitals and employees can take to further prevent HAIs.
These steps include:
o Washing hands with soap and water
o Using personal protective equipment (PPE) whenever possible exposure to infectious materials can occur
o Ensure appropriate patient placement
o Clean and disinfect the environment appropriately
o Handle textiles and laundry carefully
o Follow safe injection practices
o Wear a surgical mask when performing lumbar punctures
o Ensure healthcare worker safety including proper handling of needles and other sharps.
Here at Healthmark, we are happy to be in the business of helping hospitals by providing them with the best tools available to properly take care of patients. Having the proper hospital equipment, PPE and tools to check that clean items are truly clean is essential in further reducing the rates of HAIs.
