Monday, September 20, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS KILL 270 PEOPLE A DAY :: New York Injury Talk Blog
HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS KILL 270 PEOPLE A DAY :: New York Injury Talk BlogPosted On: January 2, 2008 by New York Personal Injury Attorney
HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS KILL 270 PEOPLE A DAY
According to a recent article, published in the New York Times, and in response to widely held public concerns about preventable and deadly hospital-acquired infections, The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, began publishing statistics on infections and deaths at its 11 hospitals on September 7th of this year. The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, the nation’s largest public health system, treats 1.3 million patients a year according to the Corporation’s website.
The Times reported that the federal Centers for Disease Control estimated that in any given year 1.7 million patients will get a hospital-acquired infection during their hospital stay. Out of those 1.7 million, 99,000 people, or about 270 per day, will die.
A New York medical malpractice law, requiring hospitals to report specific infections to the State Health Department will result in the State Department issuing hospital report cards in 2009. While mandated infection reporting is only required in a few states. New Jersey’s legislature has passed a bill requiring hospitals to report infections, and that bill is now before the Governor. USA Today reported, that many hospitals have ‘balked’ at requests to provide statistics on hospital-acquired infections.
Simple, and easily implemented steps, like physician and staff members washing their hands between patients, would lessen the opportunity for a hospital acquired infection. But, according to Clean Your Hands’ website, a study reported in Emerging Infectious Diseases in April of this year, compliance with hand-washing is poor.
About.com had several suggestions on how patients can empower themselves when hospitalized. As a patient, you can:
• Insist that anyone who touches you washes and sanitizes their hands. That includes medical personnel, dinner tray delivery people, visitors, even family members. And, according to about.com, just wearing gloves isn't good enough. Gloves may protect the wearer, but not the patient because the infection-causing pathogen may be present on the outside of the gloves.
• Insist that anything you touch is clean. That includes the telephone; the TV remote; the doctor’s stethoscope; bandages and dressing; and, catheters
HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS KILL 270 PEOPLE A DAY
According to a recent article, published in the New York Times, and in response to widely held public concerns about preventable and deadly hospital-acquired infections, The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, began publishing statistics on infections and deaths at its 11 hospitals on September 7th of this year. The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, the nation’s largest public health system, treats 1.3 million patients a year according to the Corporation’s website.
The Times reported that the federal Centers for Disease Control estimated that in any given year 1.7 million patients will get a hospital-acquired infection during their hospital stay. Out of those 1.7 million, 99,000 people, or about 270 per day, will die.
A New York medical malpractice law, requiring hospitals to report specific infections to the State Health Department will result in the State Department issuing hospital report cards in 2009. While mandated infection reporting is only required in a few states. New Jersey’s legislature has passed a bill requiring hospitals to report infections, and that bill is now before the Governor. USA Today reported, that many hospitals have ‘balked’ at requests to provide statistics on hospital-acquired infections.
Simple, and easily implemented steps, like physician and staff members washing their hands between patients, would lessen the opportunity for a hospital acquired infection. But, according to Clean Your Hands’ website, a study reported in Emerging Infectious Diseases in April of this year, compliance with hand-washing is poor.
About.com had several suggestions on how patients can empower themselves when hospitalized. As a patient, you can:
• Insist that anyone who touches you washes and sanitizes their hands. That includes medical personnel, dinner tray delivery people, visitors, even family members. And, according to about.com, just wearing gloves isn't good enough. Gloves may protect the wearer, but not the patient because the infection-causing pathogen may be present on the outside of the gloves.
• Insist that anything you touch is clean. That includes the telephone; the TV remote; the doctor’s stethoscope; bandages and dressing; and, catheters
Once In A Lifetime Opportunity- Happy Mother's Day!
Just as I try to keep moving forward in my life. Getting settled in a new state, job searching and finding my way in life. Out of the blue, I get an email from the Consumer's Union organization asking if I am interested in doing an another interview? Sure, I answered.
Just another day, checking email and keeping up with the world. Except this day would be an "Opportunity of a lifetime". The CBS Evening news is interested in telling my experience of my Mother's Hospital Acquired Infection of Acinetobacter Baumii that killed her in 17 days.
Things move very quickly, emails & booking plane tickets, hotel and directions to meet.
I scramble to go through all my documentation. The wound is still not healed, but I have to open it again. Going through pictures, death records and feelings of being lost and inside a tornado of not knowing where I might land in a whirlwind.
Through all this heartache and pain I am going to be telling the world of my experience of tragedy. I have such respect for the hard work that my Mother did her entire life. She touched so many lives. If I can share my experience and help another from going down this path than I feel I can pay it forward.
So I am internally a mess, but so excited I did not have time to make the phone calls before I left that now I am standing outside the CBS building going through a mental list of people I want to call and thank for supporting me. As I look at my husband, I am starting to realize this is a BIG Deal, and I am starting to panic. He calms me, knowing how important this is to me and all of the hard work I have done and how happy & honored my Mother would be to know I am trying to save lives.
As we stand in the building in NYC we are star struck. Security is tight everywhere. Police are at every block at all the critical blocks due to the failed bombing attempt. It is comforting to see the police in the volume of people walking the streets. Everyone is a hurry to get somewhere.
As we enter the 60 minutes floor we pass the Steve Croft. I take it all in, but I really wanted to snap a picture he acknowledges us we wait outside of the studio while they get everything ready on the set. As we sit and I try to calm myself. We laugh at all the things my mom would be saying. We share some stories of her sense of humor and some of her accomplishments and it helps break the ice and helps me relax.
The time comes, we meet Katie Couric and we are on-set. Taking a huge deep breath, we sit they check the lighting, hair & make-up and were off discussing my tragic chain of events that leads to the death of my mom. I try to maintain my objectivity and give the facts. At times my mind wonders away, Oh my GOD, I am sitting across from K a t i e C o u r i c- pinch me....discussing Acinetobacter.
We conclude the interview and we get the opportunity to meet with the next interview Dr. Brad Spellberg an infectious diseases specialist and author of "Rising Plague" a book about antibiotic resistance. We get to sit with the Dr. and pick his brain asking questions and was very enlightened. After Dr. Spellberg's interview they are walking across the street to Rosevelt Hospital to show the public the practical applications to quality care. The best part, how many things a Dr. touches in an examination & hand washing. I am so excited to see it all put together.
We leave for lunch and then meet up in Central Park for more video.
So Mark and I sit for lunch, I am a crying mess. Happy and so thankful and my heart is filled with gratitude. I have a handfull of people to call and thank for all the support and help with information along the way. I am so touched. My husband has been my rock. I cannot wait to call my kids and tell them. I am mentally and physically drained and I am looking forward to going home. I am sensory overload. The noise, the people and traffic have me realling.
The cab ride to the airport at 5pm has left me ready to drink....Seriously, they have a license to drive 70 to a dead stop without blinking. The honking is funny, there are signs everywhere, No Honking. LOL, what a ride its been. Please just deliver us safely to the airport.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Make Hospital Infection Rates Public - It's a Dirty Little Secret
Saving nearly 100,000 American lives and up to $45 billion each year can be simple if hospitals take the steps needed to prevent the spread of deadly infections among patients. Congress can give hospitals the needed push by requiring them to make their infections rates public.
This reporting has been tested in many states and it works! In Pennsylvania, the infection rate dropped by 8% statewide over the past two years of public reporting. Now its time to extend these safety incentives to every hospital in every community.
Send an email below to your Congressional lawmakers and President Obama to require reporting of infections happening at all US hospitals. Just fill out the form below and our system will automatically send your letter to your correct lawmakers based on your address!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
