1st July doctors day: Avoid visiting a hospital for a formality

Tuesday 30th June 2009 HCFI: The doctor’s advice to the public on the eve of doctor’s day is not to visit a hospital just for the sake of formalities. The hospital atmosphere is not safe and can cause infections in the visitors said Dr KK Aggarwal President Heart Care Foundation of India and Director IMAAKN Sinha Institute.
Healthcare-associated infections are infections that occur in a non-hospitalized patient with extensive healthcare contact. For examp0le those who have had intravenous therapy, wound care, or intravenous chemotherapy within the prior 30 days or are residence in a nursing home or other long-term care facility or were admitted in an acute care hospital for two or more days within the prior 90 days or have attended a hospital or hemodialysis clinic within the prior 30 days
As per US CDC in American hospitals, healthcare-associated infections account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year. Of these infections 32 percent are urinary tract infections; 22 percent are surgical site infections; 15 percent are pneumonia (lung infections) and 14 percent are bloodstream infections.
On the other hand hospital-acquired (or nosocomial) infections are infections that occurs 48 hours or more after admission and did not appear to be incubating at the time of admission.
The risk of acquiring an infection is 5% for a visitor visiting a hospital atmosphere.