Preventing the Spread of Germs in the Hospital

We want the hospital to be a safe place for you and your loved ones. One of our top concerns is to stop the spread of germs. Germs are a problem because they can cause infections. They can travel from patient to patient, from patient to staff or from staff to patient.

What can I do?

Keep your hands clean! This is the best way to keep germs from spreading. To clean your hands, you should do one of these:

• Wash your hands with soap and water.

• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Everyone should clean their hands. This includes you, your visitors, and hospital staff. Visitors should clean their hands when they enter and leave your room. Hospital staff members should clean their hands before they care for you. Do not be afraid to ask your health care providers if they have cleaned their hands.

Cover your cough or sneeze. This is important all year long, not just during cold and flu season. Here is what to do:

• Cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue. Throw the used tissue in the trash. Then wash your hands.

• If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow. This will keep the germs off your hands.

• Clean your hands often.

Keep your shots up to date. These are also called vaccines or immunizations. They help prevent viruses and infections. Shots for flu and pneumonia can keep you from getting very sick. Ask your doctor about which shots could help you.

What can the hospital staff do?

We may wear protective clothing. Some staff may wear gloves, gowns, masks, or eye protection. This helps protect both patients and staff.

We may take special steps to prevent infection. These are called precautions. We do this when we know of an infection or think there could be an infection. This will help keep the infection from spreading. Some of these steps may include:

• Place the patient in a private room. Or place the patient in a semi-private room with a patient who has a similar problem.

• Staff wears protective clothing. This includes gloves, gowns or masks;

• Place special equipment in your room.

• Make sure patients and visitors clean their hands.

Preventing hospital infections is a national patient safety goal. At UK HealthCare, we are committed to protecting you from infections. We want you and your loved ones to make sure we meet your health care needs. If you have questions about infection prevention and control here at UK HealthCare, please ask to speak to the infection control staff.