Safeguard Yourself During Your Hospital Stay

Research shows that hospitals expose visitors as well as patients to infection from a variety of sources. If you should find it necessary to undergo treatment or an operation, take some informed steps to safeguard against infections, wrong medication and similar threats.
Knowing these will help:

• While being admitted, keep at hand your current medical history and records. If you will undergo surgery do not hesitate to ask about procedures, safeguards against secondary infections and hygiene procedures in place.


• Insist on knowing all about tests a doctor asks you to undergo and question their necessity. Ask another doctor's opinion if you have doubts.


• If you have to take medicines regularly, know about them and the effects each one and the combination is likely to have on your body. If the nurse or the doctor changes your medication, ascertain the reason. Have they checked your complete medical record and are they aware of your condition? If not they could easily prescribe the wrong medicines or arrive at an erroneous diagnosis. Public hospitals have student interns and you are vulnerable at their hands. If you doubt, do not hesitate to have a family doctor check your record and medicines.


• If a doctor or a nurse or hospital staff is treating you, discreetly check that their hands are cleaned with an antiseptic. Do not agree to being given injections with used needles or from opened vials.


• If you have just undergone an operation or are recovering from an ailment, ensure you have family members, an attendant or friends to help you go to the toilet. Loss of blood, lack of nourishment and medications can give you a dizzy spell and you may slip or fall down. Your friend or family member should be an informed person who understands your conditions and a little bit about treatments and medicines.


• Nurses and medical assistants may not care to go into details of your condition in their hurry to attend to all patients and could make a mistake such as giving you food or medications not recommended in your condition. Never hesitate to question and demand attention from a senior if the person immediately attending to you ignores your requests.


• When it is time for your discharge the doctor in charge will give you instructions and contact details. If he does not ask for post operative care procedures and medications as also for regular check up. Know about the permissible diet and routines to follow.

Given the fact that most hospital staff are overworked and the ever-present risk of secondary infections, you can never take too much care and precautions.