An HAI is a pretty common occurrence sadly, and they can be horrific and deadly.
Healthcare Associated Infections can occur whether we simply visit our primary care physician, have an injection, or have a major surgery. According to the Office of Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, the majority of HAIs are UTIs, surgery-related, bloodstream-related, or pneumonia. The CDC notes that C. diff is pretty damn common as well.
I’ll add that it feels like death from the inside out and has lasting effects.
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| At least, I finally got my first grown-up IV out of the way |
These infections cost people their time, health, and even sometimes their lives. However, most of these are extremely preventable if health care workers follow workflows, execute proper sterilization and cleaning, WASH THEIR HANDS properly, and stop overprescribing antibiotics.
There are things that we can do as patients, as well, to keep ourselves safe:
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| Thanks, CDC! |
These infections have affected people I love in so many ways, but currently, I have a close friend whose family is dealing with the repercussions of an HAI. Randy is an amazing man who wound up with a staph infection as a result of a run-of-the-mill steroid injection. He’s been in and out of the hospital and other facilities since April of 2014.
This is one of the most amazing and sweetest families I know. For this to happen to them is incredibly hard to watch. There’s a GoFundMe for those of you who can help here.
Sources:
http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/healthcare-associated-infections
http://www.cdc.gov/hai/
http://health.gov/hcq/prevent-hai.asp