Preventive Staph Infection Steps for Pre/Post-op

For those awaiting surgery, I thought I would pass on this pubic health concern. With 5 laporascopic tools used for lap-band alone, I think this is good information to have. The incidence of staph infections people are contracting in hospitals is on the rise. My mother is going in for a knee operation in a few weeks and her doctor has already ordered her to start using an anbiotic/antiseptic soap for showering. You can go to the website www.hospitalinfection.org and click on the 15 steps link on the left side of the home page for things to do to prevent getting infected. The primary ones are: Asking your doctor and, especially, any healtcare worker (nurses) caring for you with the need to touch you to please wash their hands before putting on rubber gloves....without doing this first, the effort of putting on the gloves is worthless. Use the soap previously mentioned a minimum of 4 days prior to surgery. If shaving is required, have it done with an electric razor to prevent cuts. Also, don't go into surgery with cuts that could allow an infection to gestate. Ask the doctor to have the temperature in the operating room turned up. Operating room temps are usually cooler for the comfort of the operating staff, but research shows that staph infection is retarded by heat. Ask that the flat part of the stethoscope be rubbed with alcohol prior to being used on you. Ask your doctor for a staph test a week before your surgery.... It's very easy, just a nasal swab and it shows whether you carry or are susceptible to staph or other viruses. Request that your surgeon tell you how many surgeries he/she has performed that have resulted in a post-operative infections. It's your right to know this so don't be shy. Ask that your doctor give you an antibiotic at least 1 hr before your surgery. Most hospitals/doctors do so, but sometimes it's forgotten in the confusion. If you require an extended hospital stay, ask that the IVs be changed every 3-4 days. Also, ask that a urinary cathetor not be used unless absolutely necessary. This wasn't in the website's list, but you might want to consider bringing your own bottled water to the hospital or request it. Ice/water machines can be very unsanitary. Finally, if you are having your surgery performed where, say, medical students/residents are learning and may be observing your surgery in the operating room, tell your doctor that you are not giving permission for them to be there. (I'm all for learning, so maybe you could see if there's another way for them to observe.) The fewer people in the operating room, the better for you. I hope this is useful information as I wish you all the best...we really do need to reach out and support each other. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Chandler: I've already had my surgery (2 weeks post banding) and am feeling great, but this is really important information for anyone having any kind of surgery in a hospital setting. I too, know too many people who have ended up with staph infections after their hospital stays. Thanks again for the info. Nancy B., Birch Bay, WA

3 weeks till surgery (if I lose my 13 pounds in that time) so this is very helpful!