Hospital Infections may be declining with some infections while a large increase is occuring with others. Just a few months back I was having a conversation with a couple of colleagues. We were discussing a new infection that is rapidly spreading, called Clostridium difficile aka C-diff. It is passed through wounds, intravenous lines, and other means. If you are taking antibiots and you come in contact with it you may be more suseptable since the antibiots kill good and bad bacteria at the same time. Thanks to colleages, Caryn Isaacs, Patient Advocate, and Ann Hanna, I was made aware of this. After ending up in the hospital myself this weekend I was horrified to find out that the women sharing the room with me had C-diff. I immediately asked for a discharge since I could continue the medications at home. They were allowing this patient to walk the halls. C-diff is spread by touching things, thus leaving bacteria that others can pick up. When I quickly left my room to let them know I wanted to be discharged, I had turned to notice a sign outside my shared room that read, caution etc. point being something in my room was contagious and I was told I was not. Once you get what you need in the hospital get out as fast as you can. I actually had nurses and assistants that were not changing their gloves between patients, and who were not sanitizing their hands between glove changes. It was a breeding ground for germs. OK some are saying maybe I'm getting paranoid, however if you don't control your own destiny to some degree you may loose control. I also do not think patients should wait in a doctors office to be seen. I bring my own pen for sign in and let them know my tel # so they can let me know when to come in from my car, parked in the area. I also carry hand sanitizer with me. Think about how many people go to the doctor because they are sick. I certainly do not need anything I do not already have. Touch nothing. When using the rest room remember to turn the water on and off with paper towels. Use a paper towel to open the door, if hand use is at all necessary. This is seriously deadly stuff. I hope this will keep you out of germs way. I'm still trying to get the real low down on whether people with C-diff can be admitted to nursing homes and or assisted living vacilities. It seems to me they would need a seperate building or everyone will end up infected.
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