Men's Health article
According to the article, hospital-borne infections are the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. That's pretty friggin' scary (especially since I plan to work in a hospital as a health care provider very soon). Is this a concern to most people? Do you notice if your MD/health care provider has washed their hands?
This is full of good and interesting advice - I especially like the idea of carrying medical info with you on a USB drive. Hospitals are becoming more and more technologically advanced, with more computers available to the staff than ever before. They're beginning IT protocols in many hospitals to have computers on wheels, so the nurses, docs, and PAs can take their PC with them from patient to patient. It would be easy to open a USB drive and instantly have your records accessible. Especially since medication errors are huge source of trouble as well - if they know everything you're on and the dosages (and aren't relying on your memory or just a bottle), they're less likely to make a mistake.
I think this brings up the interesting issue of how savvy the average patient is. In my grandmother's time (DOB 1917), you just did what they told you. Now, I go in knowing what's wrong with me half the time and just needing the doctor to confirm and prescribe appropriately. 2nd opinions are de rigeur for many specialties (and for higher socio-economic groups).
How much of this information is surprising to you? Are you more likely to educate yourself now? Do you know where your nearest ER is, and what their environment is like? If you don't have chronic health problems, do you even think about this stuff? How many of you treat the ER as your primary care, not having a regular MD to do so?
I can post more of the article if y'all prefer.
EDIT:Hmmm... as I finally make it to the end of the article, there are a few things I disagree with.
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Scrub off the bugs
Five days before scalpel meets skin, start taking two showers daily, washing with an antiseptic cleanser like Hibiclens, which contains the antibacterial agent chlorhexidine gluconate. "Some studies show that it reduces the risk of infections," Larson says.
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I'm torn on this. There's something to be said for preparation, but I'd want to run this idea past the doctor first. And there's also the concern about killing too much of your natural flora/fauna, causing you to be more susceptible to germs when you're done. Like the reasons why you shouldn't douche - if you ever *stop* douching, you'll end up with infections from everything suddenly growing back. A certain amount of bacteria etc. is normal, natural, and healthy for us to have on our skin. Like a symbiotic relationship. So I dunno... could that make you MORE susceptible while in hospital? Since you won't be doing that routine there?
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Empty the O.R.
Can too much care kill? A new Dartmouth study shows that the more money a hospital spends on a single patient's care, the poorer the outcome of the treatment. More cash means more physicians per patient, says Skinner, the lead author. "It's hard to get eight or nine doctors to agree and communicate well." Ask that unnecessary personnel, such as medical residents, be kept out of the O.R.
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This, I just plain disagree with. How do you expect residents to learn? You want them to show up as autonomous MDs with no hands on experience? Or is it "that's okay, just not on me"? I also find that ridiculous. It's not like a resident - or even a fellow - is allowed to be in surgery or treat patients unsupervised. They are standing right next to each other, assisting each other. It's necessary and not something I think we need to make people paranoid about.
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Pop the question
As in, "How long have you been doing this?" The ideal nurse has been in the same unit, the same specialty and the same hospital for more than a few years. (Don't assume that an older-looking nurse is the most experienced. "More people are going into nursing when they're 40 or 50, and they may be less experienced," says Sean Clarke, Ph.D., R.N., associate director of the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research.) Because of the current nursing shortage, you may not have much choice in terms of who cares for you, but if you have concerns about inexperienced nurses, talk to the nurse manager.
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HAHAHAHAHAA - Dudes, the shortage is freakin' high. We need new grads like you wouldn't believe. And even if your nurse is new to cardiology, but used to work in the ER for 5 years - you'll be fine. Really. Rather than worry about how long they've been a nurse, ask what the hospital orientation is like. Even if you're new, if the hospital puts you through your paces thoroughly when you start, the nurse will be juuuuust fine.
Just some more thoughts...