The 10 Most Influential Multispeciality Hospitals The 10 Most Influential Multispecialty Hospital Sm | Page 42

Preventive Measures
• A lot can be prevented if the employees as well as the visitors at the hospitals wash their hands regularly.
The simple ignorance of washing hands has become a major source of starting hospital-aided infections.
• Improper and excessive use of anti-bacterial drugs has to be controlled. They aid in the process of catching
and retaining nosocomial infections.
• The doctors and hospital staff should always be wearing overalls, like mask, gloves, and coat, to avoid
touching people with bare hands and keep the process hygienic
• The used syringes should be discarded and all other instruments, including the stethoscope should be
disinfected or sterilized
• For UTIs, catheters and bags should be changed when medically indicated. Catheters should be inserted
aseptically and removed when not needed. They should be placed properly in order to enable uninterrupted
urine flow.
• Hospital beds, bed sheets, pillows, and covers should be changed and washed at regular intervals of time.
The rooms and wards should also be properly ventilated. Such simple hygiene practices matter a lot.
• ICUs should be scanned for infected patients as they can further be the source of an epidemic. Identified
patients can then be isolated and treated separately.
• Hospital-aided infections cannot be diagnosed until later, when the symptoms show. But, until then these
can spread from people to people, resulting in an epidemic. Healthcare systems, all over the world, have
not addressed this issue properly. Steps need to be taken in this direction by the healthcare industries of all
the countries as well as nosocomial control programs should be initiated by the hospitals. This will not
only improve health conditions, but also save the economic resources spent on these.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Some nosocomial infections can be diagnosed by the doctors only by looking at the symptoms in the patients.
Some may suggest the patients to get their blood and urine tests done. It is important for the patients to be
aware of these and report any extra discomfort they feel during their stay at the hospital or after the discharge.
As far as the treatment is concerned, usually doctors suggest rest and a few antibiotics or other medication to
the patients suffering from infections. It is suggested to stay isolated in order to prevent the further spreading
of the infection. A person should stay hydrated, drink a lot of fluids, follow a healthy diet, and take the
mediation timely till the infection is totally cured.
Understanding about the infections that can be carried home from a hospital, at our end, we need to be aware
of the notion – nosocomial infections. This will help in prevention, development of hygienic habits, and early
diagnosis. As on the healthcare providers’ end, there are various nosocomial control measures they can take
up. In the time where we hear about new diseases every day, we need to aid in preventing illnesses that can
be.
Aishwarya Nawandhar
| March 2019 | 40