Monterey, CA Hospitals Finding New Ways To Fight Staph Infection In Hip & Knee Replacement Surgery Patients

by Richard Kuehn on 03/12/13

View From A Non-Profit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

One of the biggest problems for seniors going into the hospital for something minor is the risk of getting infection.  As we get older, our immune system finds it increasingly difficult to fight off disease.  Despite valiant efforts to prevent infections, most hospitals are in a constant battle against staph and other very contagious infections.   Both of our Platinum sponsors, Alliance Home Health and Family inHome Caregiving, deal with clients that this happens to on a frequent basis.  It's very disturbing both for the patient and for their friends and family.  I was glad to read in today's Wall Street Journal that some hospitals are going the extra mile to make sure that their patients don't get infections when scheduled for surgery.  The article profiled a man who was going to have hip replacement surgery.  Two weeks prior, he was at the hospital prepping.  First his nose was swabbed for staph and then he attended a class on how to shower with anti-infective soap.  One frightening statistic : some infections fester and aren't detected until two years after the surgery.  In rare cases, amputation is necessary.  Knee and hip replacement surgeries are performed 1.1 million times per year and infection rates range from 1.6-2.4%, or 20,000 infections per year.  Simple things like making sure the patients sleep on clean sheets prior to surgery, and shave with an electric razor rather than a razor blade, can significantly reduce the potential for infection.  That's great news, because going through an infection after surgery can be very painful and debilitating.  I am glad to see the medical community is offering education to patients so infection rates can be reduced.

 

 

 

Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands To Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.