3 Ways Hospitals Are Deadly

When we think of hospitals we often picture a place where the sick or injured go to get well. Full of medical professionals, one would assume that hospitals would be one of the safest and healthiest places to be. Unfortunately this is far from the truth. From surgical and medical errors to infections, hospitals at times can be a deadly place. This is often due to reduced staffing and the bureaucratic nature of the health care system.

1) Surgical Errors
Sometimes these errors make local and national news, but more often than not we simply do not hear about them. Every year more thousands of operations are botched. From operating on the wrong patient to leaving equipment inside the body, these costly mistakes can be deadly. While these incidents are rare, they do happen. The best prevention is to alert medical staff if you sense something is wrong and to confirm every step of your procedure with your doctor prior to surgery in the pre-op room.

2) Infection
While most infections are controllable there are plenty that become deadly, particularly with elderly patients. While the operating room is sanitized, germs fester all over hospitals. After all, hospitals are filled with sick people. Make sure that you receive antibiotics before and after surgery and that all hospital personnel are washing their hands every time they visit you. IVs should be changed frequently and open wounds should be cleaned regularly and covered with new bandages.

3) Bedsores
Bedsores are a serious problem in hospitals that can lead to severe infection if left untreated. Reduced staffing in hospitals is one of the main reasons these occur so often. Patients lying in hospital beds need to change their position once every couple of hours. Unfortunately in many hospitals this does not happen. Always have nurses and doctors check for redness or soreness and do not be afraid to ask a nurse to help reposition you in bed.

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The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.