Though it is a top ten killer in the US the facts are still stagering given the minimal attention Health-Associated Infections (HAI) have received in the media. Do you know how to protect youself and loved ones from HAI?
This article focuses on the human side of the story, shares advice from three people who have experienced it first hand, and attempts to give you a glimpse of how HAI impacts each of us today. With the age of antibiotics coming to a close, it is more important than ever to have the knowledge to protect yourself and loved ones when visiting healthcare facilities, whether a hospital, an outpatient clinic, or even your own physician's office.
As you read this story, think of the costs of HAI. One in ten are infected. One in 100 die. Help raise awareness about a top ten killer, Health-Associated Infections.
For a primer on HAI, please read my previous article "Healthcare Itself Is One of the Top Ten Causes of Death."
To bring these numbers to life, let's start with Tracy Hanes, whose mother was infected during outpatient surgery to install a pacemaker for her heart condition. Mr. Hanes' mother was no stranger to hospitals; she had previously had several heart attacks and stents put in.
The resulting HAI from her pacemaker surgery "took six months of her life she will never get back," said Mr. Hanes, "and six months her grandchildren and all of us were scared for her life." To recover from such a severe infection, his mother had to relearn everything, even how to walk.
#1. Ask Tough Questions
Mr. Hanes recommends asking tough questions before any procedure, such as:
- What are the facility's infection rates compared to state and national averages?
- What are the rates for the type of procedure you are getting?
- What types and number of cases of HAI are seen in the facility?
- What policies, procedures, and inspections take place to combat HAI?
These types of questions are a great start if you have the time to choose your facility. Even in some states whose hospitals all had infection rates lower than the national average, there may be better facilities where infection rates are much lower.
Another patient, Charlie Wachtel, regularly has to have dialysis for a preexisting illness and started experiencing severe stomach pain. His experience became complicated because he had to seek treatment over the weekend at a hospital instead of his normal dialysis clinic.
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