Hospital infections: Tips for reducing your risk

Although most of your risk of infection after surgery lies in the hands of your doctor and hospital, there are steps you can take to avoid hospital infections.

Having surgery can be stressful. One of the last things you want to worry about is getting an infection as a result of that surgery or from being in the hospital. If you follow the news, chances are you've heard about problems with hospital infections. In the United States, an estimated 1.7 million infections are associated with health care and are a factor in 99,000 deaths each year.

There are laws and guidelines to help prevent hospital infections. But you can also take steps to reduce your risk of infection while you're in the hospital. The best thing you can do is to choose an accredited hospital you trust — and when you're having surgery, a board-certified surgeon you trust. Follow these steps to help reduce your chance of hospital infections.

If you're having surgery, choose your surgeon carefully

If you're having a planned surgery, ask about your doctor's rate of infection for the procedure you're having. It's not always possible to accurately compare one surgeon's infection rates against another's. Certain people are more prone to infection, so if a surgeon sees mostly people at higher risk of infection, this may affect that surgeon's infection rates. Your personal risk factors for infection and the type of procedure you're having are important in evaluating infection rates. For example, you may be at greater risk of infection if you're obese, have diabetes, use steroids or have certain types of surgery such as a gastric bypass procedure.

Help your doctors, medical staff and visitors to remember to clean their hands

All doctors and medical staff should wash their hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before treating you. This is important even if they use gloves. Hands should be sanitized before putting on new gloves, and gloves should be discarded after a single use. Hand sanitizer dispensers may be mounted on your hospital room wall just inside or just outside the door. If you don't see staff washing or sanitizing their hands, ask if they have and request that they do so. This goes for visitors, too.

Anyone coughing should wear a mask or stay more than 6 feet away from you

Anyone who is coughing should wear a mask or be more than six feet away from you to reduce the likelihood of transmitting viruses by air. Medical staff, visitors and other patients who are coughing should all be wearing masks. Family and friends should postpone their visits when they have a viral infection.

Watch for proper catheter use, and ask about your options

Catheters are long, thin, flexible plastic tubes inserted into your body to deliver or remove fluids. Because they break the skin barrier or enter through a body opening, they can allow infections to enter your body. Catheters that are coated with antibiotics, antiseptics or chlorhexidine-silver sulfadiazine reduce the risk of infection during prolonged use. Ask if those are appropriate for you.

When inserting a short-term venous catheter in the hand or forearm, health care workers should cleanse their hands with soap or hand sanitizer, wear gloves and use an antiseptic on your skin where the catheter will enter. Catheters in a vein in your hand or arm should be replaced every three to four days to reduce risk of infection. This isn't necessary for central venous catheters.

If you're receiving a central venous catheter — which is placed in a large vein in your neck, chest or groin to end up in a large vein in your chest or heart — health care workers should also wear masks and gowns and use a sterile drape. This is because you are at greater risk of infection with this type of catheter than with the type that is inserted into a vein in your hand or arm.

Avoid a urinary catheter if you can

The most common hospital infection is a urinary tract infection. A urinary catheter — a tube that carries urine from your bladder out of your body — can contribute to such infections because bacteria can enter your body through the catheter. The risk of infection goes up significantly if you have a urinary catheter for more than six days. Ask your doctor or nurse if it's absolutely necessary that you have a urinary catheter, and if so, to remove it as soon as it's no longer needed.

Prepare yourself for a safe operation

Stop smoking
Take steps to prepare yourself for surgery. If you smoke, you may increase your risk of infection and other complications after surgery. In one study of 120 smokers undergoing knee and hip replacement in Denmark, those who smoked experienced six times the number of wound infections than did those who cut their smoking in half or quit six to eight weeks before surgery.

Improve your health
If you have diabetes, make sure it's under control before having surgery. If you're overweight, losing some weight also may help. And be sure to provide your doctor with a list of any medications you're taking.

Treat any existing infections
If you're having an elective procedure, whenever possible, identify and seek treatment for any infections before surgery. This includes all infections, not just those near the portion of your body undergoing surgery. Postpone elective operations until the infections are gone.

Help medical staff remember to clean surfaces around you and to disinfect medical equipment

Some surface areas around you, particularly those that are frequently touched — bedrails, bedside table, doorknobs, toilet, sinks and other surfaces and medical equipment — should be disinfected daily. An Environmental Protection Agency-registered disinfectant or a detergent and disinfectant should be used. If surfaces and equipment around you aren't being cleaned, ask that this be done. Some cleaning may take place when you are not in the room.

Antibiotics given before surgery to prevent infection must be given in a timely manner

For many surgeries, you should receive an antibiotic shortly before your surgery to help prevent infection. Those who don't take an antibiotic within the prescribed one or two hour time frame have an increased rate of infection of the surgical site. If you don't receive an antibiotic prior to your surgery, ask your doctor whether one is necessary.

Be an observant and active participant, but realize some things are beyond your control and expertise

Most hospital staff follow strict guidelines to help avoid infections or other problems. Your best approach is to research doctors and hospitals before you need them. Choose the ones you trust. Also take steps to improve your health before elective operations. Practice good hygiene, and request it of your visitors. Follow all medical instructions carefully and completely, including how to care for your wounds, what activities to avoid, and how long to use antibiotics.

Then, pay attention, and if you have questions or if something doesn't seem right, ask your doctor or health care staff about it. You may also request an opportunity to address your concerns with the hospital liaison or patient advocate.

Preparing for surgery: 9 questions to ask

MayoClinic.com Bookstore

ARTICLE TOOLS

E-mail this

Larger type

Reprints and permissions