Personal Injury Law

Failure to Wash Hands Continues to Spread Germs to Patients

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

Blog readers are well aware of the dangerous infections that many patients develop during hospitals stay. These hospital inquired infections can be extremely harmful and in almost all cases are preventable if proper steps are taken by medical staff.

Similarly, a disturbing new study explored last week in Consumer Health Today explained that anesthesiologists often pass on germs to patients during medical operations. Researchers examined over 164 operating room procedures and found that in 11.5% of cases bacteria was transmitted to the intravenous line valves. Even when not reaching that line, in over 90% of cases bacteria reached the operating room in one way or another.

The research went further in determining the major source of the problem. Half of those cases of bacteria transfer were caused by germs that originated on the hands of anesthesiologists who were involved in the operation. One researcher explained, ?Contamination of provider hands before patient care?represents an important modifiable risk factor for bacterial cross-contamination.?

The solution is simple: hand washing.

As it now stands not enough anesthesiologists are properly disinfecting themselves before operations. There are few excuses to be made for the poor hand-washing compliance, because the need for the process is well-known.

Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on January 05, 2011 (boomark / email).