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Prevention
Preventing Surgical Site Infections
Preventing Surgical Site InfectionsPage 1 of 2NarratorWhile in the hospital, you’re more vulnerable to developing an infection, especially if you’ve had anoperation.Dr. Michael BellSurgery is a situation where we are literally cutting through a lot of the protective barriers of the humanbody in order to fix a problem or save a life.NarratorTo reduce the chances of an infection, the surgical team cleans their hands by performing a detailedscrubbing process to help make the operation as sterile as possible.Dr. William SchaffnerThey use little devices that go under their fingernails to clean them off. It’s all very elaborate. It’s all verytimed. They dry off their hands with sterile towels and then, of course, they get into their sterile gowns,gloves, and masks before they begin the procedure.NarratorEven with the precautions, bacteria can get into the incision and an infection can still occur.© The Wellness NetworkPage 2 of 2
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This sheet tells you more about surgical site infections, what hospitals are doing to prevent them, and how they are treated if they do occur. It also tells you what you can do to prevent these infections.
Watch this video to learn simple strategies to protect yourself from getting and spreading infections during your hospital stay.
Every year in the United States, more people die from healthcare-associated infections than from breast cancer, car accidents and AIDS combined. Proper hand cleansing by everyone who comes in contact with a patient can lower the risk of getting a deadly infection.
Bloodstream Infections can be a life-threatening complication during a hospital stay. Patients are an important part of the teamwork necessary for prevention. Learn how infections in the bloodstream occur and what can patients can do to help prevent them.
