Hospitals making you sicker?!?!
@helpful_ideas (1620)
United States
January 10, 2007 11:06am CST
I know that sick people with contagious diseases have to go to the hospital to get better and hence bring the infections with them.
It bothers me that the hospitals aren't better cleaned though, The infections shouldn't be spreading to as many people as they are.
Recently my father went in for a surgery for a minor umbilical hernia. While there he picked up a pretty serious staph infection that made him very ill. He is back in the hospital again now.
According to a recent news story I read, 10% of those in the hospital get an infection that they wouldn't have had they not been in the hospital. That number seems too high.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@SunlightSwoon (1060)
• United States
14 Jan 07
A patient[unknown at the time] with tuberculosis was brought into a room that my friend shared with 3 other people, we all know the outcome or that. A child was brought into a room that my son shared with 2 other children,the child spent the night. The next morning when he was being bathed, the nurse noticed that he had lice. And I guess stories like this can go on and on and on. I think the problem is that hospitals are just to large.We need doctors that make house calls once again and more visiting nurses. Hospital just seem to perpetuate sickness. I knew an older lady who firmly believed that, if she went into a hospital...she won't come out..SS
1 person likes this
@helpful_ideas (1620)
• United States
14 Jan 07
Back in the old days though, people didn't know about germs or how to best kill them. So the older woman's fear was well founded. Now we know how to kill germs and virii if the staff just takes the necessary time to do the job right the first time.
It only takes a few seconds longer with each patient to make sure the tools, room, and patient to the best of their ability has been sanitized or sterilized. I guess I am just wanting people to do their jobs and that is too much to ask.
My father goes in for his 4th surgery tomorrow because of this.
@Doctor_Botany (52)
• United States
16 Jan 07
Actually the problem isn't that the hospitals are unclean. It's that the doctors and nurses aren't washing their hands well enough between patients.
Infections you get as a result of a hospital stay are called nosocomial infections and they kill 30,000 people a year. That's "kill". They affect another 70,000 or so that don't turn out to be fatal. Search "nosocomial infections" and you can see the numbers for yourself. Also search "oliver wendell holmes handwashing" to read some really disturbing accounts of what happened to one of the first doctors to recognize the need for handwashing.
