Comments on: Infection Control - an uphill battle http://epablog.wordpress.com/2007/02/16/infection-control-an-uphill-battle/ A blog about patient empowerment, patient advocacy, medical consumerism, and tools patients can use to help them navigate and survive the dysfunction of the American Health Care System. Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:39:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Lisa Lindell http://epablog.wordpress.com/2007/02/16/infection-control-an-uphill-battle/#comment-21472 Lisa Lindell Tue, 20 Feb 2007 03:29:07 +0000 http://epablog.wordpress.com/2007/02/16/infection-control-an-uphill-battle/#comment-21472 You do about the only thing we can do, post the incident all over the internet. I'm curious, though, about Ilene's comment that there is no oversight in a doctor's office. From a patient perspective, there's no oversight in a hospital, either. You do about the only thing we can do, post the incident all over the internet. I’m curious, though, about Ilene’s comment that there is no oversight in a doctor’s office. From a patient perspective, there’s no oversight in a hospital, either.

]]> By: JENI DINGMAN http://epablog.wordpress.com/2007/02/16/infection-control-an-uphill-battle/#comment-21471 JENI DINGMAN Sat, 17 Feb 2007 02:37:38 +0000 http://epablog.wordpress.com/2007/02/16/infection-control-an-uphill-battle/#comment-21471 Thanks for posting this. Patty of Colorado Citizens and Ilene have told me so much about you. I just wanted to thank you for all that you are doing for patient safety and tell you to keep up the great work. I hope that someday we might chat or meet. Thanks for posting this. Patty of Colorado Citizens and Ilene have told me so much about you. I just wanted to thank you for all that you are doing for patient safety and tell you to keep up the great work. I hope that someday we might chat or meet.

]]> By: effusion http://epablog.wordpress.com/2007/02/16/infection-control-an-uphill-battle/#comment-21470 effusion Fri, 16 Feb 2007 15:13:25 +0000 http://epablog.wordpress.com/2007/02/16/infection-control-an-uphill-battle/#comment-21470 That's an interesting and appalling story. Given all the news reports about disease transmission in medical facilities, one would think that physicans and other medical personnel would be conspicuous with hand cleaning and sterility controls. More of us are noticing possible or obvious failures to observe sterility control protocols, but, for many of us, speaking up is not easy. I remember seeing a lab technician drop a needle that she was about to use to draw blood from my very elderly father. The needle only tapped my father's jacket. As it turned out, no infection resulted, but there occurred to me the mortifying realization that some microbes release spores that could settle on nearly any surface. I wished that I had spoken up as I had thought about doing, and I resolved to do better in the future. Resolving it is one thing, doing it is another. That’s an interesting and appalling story. Given all the news reports about disease transmission in medical facilities, one would think that physicans and other medical personnel would be conspicuous with hand cleaning and sterility controls.

More of us are noticing possible or obvious failures to observe sterility control protocols, but, for many of us, speaking up is not easy. I remember seeing a lab technician drop a needle that she was about to use to draw blood from my very elderly father. The needle only tapped my father’s jacket. As it turned out, no infection resulted, but there occurred to me the mortifying realization that some microbes release spores that could settle on nearly any surface. I wished that I had spoken up as I had thought about doing, and I resolved to do better in the future. Resolving it is one thing, doing it is another.

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