No one wants their hospital stay to make them sicker than they were upon admittance. Whether you (or a loved one) are in the hospital for a serious illness or a straight-forward surgery, developing an infection from a dangerous superbug can leave you clinging to life. The bad news: superbugs in hospitals are common and […]
Archive | Hospital Issues
Information Needed by Home Healthcare Providers is Lacking
By zaggocare on August 7, 2017 in Communicating with Your Healthcare Team, Hospital Issues, Medical Errors
Errors Occur When Home Healthcare Providers Don’t Get Accurate Information on Recently Discharged Patients Back in the good-old days of 1982, I went to the hospital on Monday, had knee surgery on Tuesday, and went home on Friday. Yep, 5 days in the hospital for a pretty minor procedure, which doctors now accomplish with patients […]
Leaving the Hospital Against Your Doctor’s Advice
By zaggocare on July 24, 2017 in Communicating with Your Healthcare Team, Hospital Issues, Managing Healthcare
Hospitals are not fun. It can be hard to sleep with the noise and interruptions. You miss the comforts of home. You can be exposed to infections and other safety hazards. And they’re expensive. Why would you want to stay longer than you think is necessary? The primary reason to stay is, of course, because […]
Why is Hand Washing in Healthcare So Important? What You Need to Do to Stay Safe.
Why is hand washing in healthcare so important? It just might save your life! Imagine you saw something disgusting on your hands, such as a bit of poop or blood. You would not hesitate for even a second. You would be at the sink, scrubbing away the yuckiness. It’s gross and could be dangerous – of […]
Are Antibiotics Helpful or Harmful? What You Need to Know.
Antibiotics are the go-to treatment for many types of infections. Doctors prescribe them, and/or patients demand them, for a wide variety of ailments. However, antibiotics are a mixed blessing. Are antibiotics helpful or harmful? Sometimes they don’t help you recover, sometimes they can make you sicker, and collectively they are causing great harm. Antibiotics can […]
What Patients Need to Know About C. Auris
There’s a new germ in town and it’s not as “sweet” as its name might imply. Candida auris, a type of yeast, can cause severe illness, or even death, in hospitalized patients. This yeast, referred to as C. auris, can enter the bloodstream and spread through the body. Unfortunately, it often doesn’t respond to commonly used […]
Dangerous Germs in Hospitals. The 10-Second Rule Doesn’t Apply to Hospital Floors!
Admit it. We’ve all done it. Quickly picked up a piece of dropped food from the floor, stated the 10 second rule, and popped it into our mouths. And we’re still here to tell the tales. As one would expect, the 10-second rule is a horrible idea if you are in the hospital, as a guest […]
Are the Long Hours of Doctor Training Programs Dangerous for Patients?
I know I have been there. That place where you are so tired you literally cannot think straight. You’ve been up with a baby or a sick child. A work or school deadline has kept you awake most of the night for days on end. Mind-numbing sleepless nights really take a toll. In fact, studies […]
Is C. Diff Dangerous for Patients?
What’s C. Diff and Why Should You Care? Clostridium difficile, commonly referred to as C. diff, is one tough bacterial infection. Is C. diff dangerous for patients? Unfortunately, C. diff is common and can be deadly. How many people are impacted? It makes over 500,000 Americans sick every year, killing 29,000 each year. Over 94% […]
Does it Matter Which Hospital You Use? Yes!
Did you know that picking the “wrong” hospital can negatively impact your health and even increase your risk of death? Because there is a wide variation in quality of care and safety, it really does matter which hospital you use. A recent study, published in PLOS One, analyzed over 20 measures of medical outcomes for […]