Protecting Loved Ones from Health-Associated Infections (HAI)
During the flu season and year round, families need to understand the risks of one of America's top ten killers, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI). These are infections that are acquired while being treated at your doctor's office, outpatient clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities, and they are more common than you think.
One in ten are infected with an HAI. The US spends over $5 billion a year on healthcare related infections. And, most chillingly, one percent of those affected die.
Due to lack of media coverage and training, there are not a lot of people who know about HAI. Even in the medical community, steps that could prevent this type of infection are bypassed.
Three big things you can do to help protect yourself and your loved ones:
- Make sure everyone coming into contact with you and your loved ones while visiting the doctor or hospital washes their hands thoroughly. (Twenty seconds is recommended.)
- If you are going in for a procedure, either routine or special, start asking questions about HAI infection rates at the facility compared to others in your area.
- Make sure anyone who is sick or getting surgery brings someone they trust to speak up for them and advocate for them if something seems off.
As the saying goes, knowledge is power, and sharing this with those you love could help them avoid a serious ordeal and even help make sure they are not the one in a hundred who face death as a result of an HAI.
To learn more about Healthcare-Associated Infections, check out these two related articles on our partner site, BlogCritics:
- A primer on HAI: Healthcare Itself Is One of the Top Ten Causes of Death
- Detailed advice from those who have experienced HAI first-hand: The Human Cost of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI)
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