A trip to the hospital can be a scary event. Not only do people worry about possible procedures or tests, they can also be concerned over various situations that can go wrong. Surgical errors, drug mix-ups, and infections that people can catch while admitted in a hospital are just a few of the examples that can complicate what is supposed to be a very simple hospital visit. According to studies, however, one in four patients is affected by some form of hospital error.

If you are going to be admitted into a hospital, there are steps you can take to help ensure your safety. One of the first things you should do is check the ratings of the hospital. A critical statistic in this area is the hospital’s infection rate. Statistics reveal that over two million patients acquire infections from healthcare facilities. For over 100,000 patients, these infections are fatal.

It is important to meet with your doctor some time prior to your hospital stay and review what your procedure will entail and what you should expect. Make a list of any drugs or supplements you are currently taking and find out which ones you should stop prior to your stay. Give your doctor the list for your record and bring copies of it to the hospital when you go.

Other steps you should take include choosing a healthcare proxy – someone who can make medical decisions for you in the event you become unable to do so. You should also prepare a living will. Make sure you have a family member or friend who will be helping you get to the hospital and will oversee your stay and recovery.

When you are admitted to the hospital, make sure to give the staff your drug list. Also, check your hospital wristband to verify your name is spelled correctly and also contains the correct information about you and any allergies you have may to medications. Being prepared for your visit can help make the process go more smoothly, and it may even save your life.

If you suffered from injuries or other serious side effects as a result of medical negligence during a hospital stay, please contact an experienced Westport medical malpractice attorney to find out what compensation you may be entitled to for pain and loss.

A new study by Columbia University School of Nursing about hospital infection prevention policies has revealed some disturbing results – most hospitals fail to follow their own policies. The price of these infections is high, costing $33 billion annually for excess medical care and killing 100,000 people in this country every year.

Researchers studied the prevention policies of over 1600 intensive care units (ICU) at almost 1,000 hospitals located across the U.S. The team was especially interested in what kind of checklists were in place to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia and catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Of all the ICUs studied, one in 10 still did not have any kind of checklist in place to help deter bloodstream infections. The study also found that one in four ICUs had no checklists to help prevent patients developing pneumonia while on a ventilator.

For those units that did have checklists in place, these safeguards were only followed half the time.

Past research has shown that the use of electronic monitoring systems and staff that are trained and have infection control certification can significantly reduce the occurrence of these infections. But only one-third of the hospitals actually had some type of electronic monitoring system in place. And more than one-third of the hospitals studied had no staff trained in infection control.

The research was led by Dr. Patricia Stone, who has been involved in considerable research about hospital and health-care infections. In a statement, Dr. Stone said, “Hospitals aren’t following the rules they put in place themselves to keep patients safe. Rules don’t keep patients from dying unless they’re enforced.”

Dr. Stone also added, “Every hospital should see this research as a call to action – it’s just unconscionable that we’re not doing every single thing we can, every day, for every patient, to avoid preventable infections.”

If you have suffered from complications caused by negligent medical care, contact a Westport medical malpractice attorney to find out what compensation you may be entitled to for pain and loss.