Clean Your Hands
Did you know hand hygiene is the simplest way to prevent up to 50% of infections and illnesses? Every year, an estimated 5-7 percent of patients admitted to hospitals develop a preventable and even deadly hospital-acquired infection such as C. Difficile, MRSA and VRE.
If you’re visiting a hospital, consider these important tips:
- If you’re visiting a patient or getting treatment, remember to clean your hands:
- When you enter and leave the hospital
- Before and after contact with your loved one
- Before eating
- If you are visiting a patient at SAH, and you’ve had one of the following in the past 24 hrs: diarrhea, fever and/or chills, new or worsening cough – please see the receptionist before seeing your loved one. If you are sick, you may make patients or healthcare workers sick.
- Ask your doctor, nurse or other health care professional to clean or sanitize their hands using a gel hand rinse before examining you. It’s your right as a patient, so speak up.
- If your family member is on Precautions in the hospital, please follow the signs or ask a nurse for help.
Learn more by visiting the following links:
- http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/
- http://www.cdc.gov/
- http://www.who.int/en/
- http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/public_mn.html
- http://www.chica.org/
- http://www.algomapublichealth.com/Default.aspx?l=,1,10,64
SAH Participates in Clean Hands Protect Lives Campaign
Hand Cleaning is one of the best ways you and your care providers can prevent infections from spreading.