How to prevent infections during your hospital stay

Tips for visitors: Cleanse your hands with soap and water or use waterless alcohol handrub before you enter and leave. Do not visit if you feel sick. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your upper arm. Follow the health care team's directions. Remember: You are an important part of the health care team.

Hand hygiene

Cleansing hands is the easiest way to reduce the risk of spreading germs that cause infections.

Wash your hands after using the bathroom, blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, and before eating.
If you cannot get to a sink, please ask your health care provider for a waterless alcohol handrub.
Please ask your health care team members if they have cleansed their hands. They remove germs from their hands with a waterless alcohol handrub or with soap and water to protect you.

How to wash your hands

Use soap and warm, running water.

Wet your hands.
Put some soap on your hands.
Rub your hands together for at least 15 to 20 seconds. Cover all surfaces, including between your fingers and under fingernails.
Rinse with running water.
Dry your hands with a paper towel.
Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet.

Cough or sneeze hygiene

Stop the spread of germs that make you and others sick by taking these steps:

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your upper arm when coughing or sneezing.
Turn away from other people in the room.
Put the used tissue in the waste basket.
Cleanse your hands after handling a tissue or sneezing/coughing into your hands.
You may be asked to wear a surgical mask when leaving your room.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia

A ventilator is a machine that helps patients breathe and supplies extra oxygen to the lungs. Ventilator-associated pneumonia results in a lung infection a patient can get while connected to the ventilator.

According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, family members should ask these questions:

Are you going to raise the head of the bed when my loved one is on the ventilator?
How are you going to prevent stomach ulcers?
What will you do to prevent blood clots?
When can my loved one try breathing on his or her own?

Surgery site infections

To help prevent infection at the site of your surgery, you may be given an antibiotic within 60 minutes before surgery which should be stopped within 24 hours after surgery (48 hours after heart surgery).

Catheter-related bloodstream infections

A central venous catheter (line), is put into a vein so you can get intravenous (IV) medicines, blood, fluids and/or nutrition. The line can stay in place for days or weeks.

According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, family members should:

Watch the health care team members to make sure they cleanse their hands before and after working with the patient. Do not be afraid to remind them!
Ask the health care team questions before agreeing to having the line inserted:
- Which vein will you use to put in the line?
- How will you clean the skin when the line goes in?
- What steps are you taking to lower the risk of infection?
Make sure the health care team members check the line every day for signs of infection. They should only replace the line when needed and not on a schedule.

Other infection control tips

Tell your nurse if the...

incision bandage or intravenous (IV) catheter site dressing is loose or wet, or if the incision or catheter site is warm or painful
urinary catheter or drainage tube comes out or if you have pain, pressure or the sudden urge to urinate

To prevent pneumonia, follow the breathing instructions you get from your health care team. Ask your nurse or doctor about the influenza and pneumonia vaccines (shots).

Smoking can lead to infections. If you smoke and need help to stop, please tell your nurse. Allina hospitals do not allow smoking anywhere.

If you have diabetes, ask your doctor about the best ways to control your blood sugar. High blood sugar can increase your risk of infection.