Hospital-acquired infections affect more than 1.7 million patients each year in our country. At Harrison, our infection prevention experts help keep our patients and caregivers safe through a rigorous prevention program. They:

• Identify risks for infection;
• Recommend ways to prevent infection and monitor outcomes.
• Teach proper hygiene methods to all employees;
• Consult on isolation precautions and other infection control issues.

Everyone in the hospital—physicians, nurses, housekeepers, food service and maintenance workers—has a role in keeping the number of infections as low as possible.

While you are in the hospital
You can help prevent infections while you are in the hospital:

• Wash your hands or use an alcohol-based sanitizer frequently, especially after using the bathroom and before eating.
• Remind people caring for you to wash their hands or use a hand sanitizer before touching you.
• If you have an IV, keep the site clean and dry.
• If you have an operation, call your nurse if the bandage becomes loose or wet.
• If you have a tube to drain urine or a wound, tell your nurse if it gets loose or comes out.
• Tell relatives and friends not to visit you if they have a cold or feel sick.
• Tell the people taking care of you if you have been exposed to a contagious disease recently, such as whooping cough, chickenpox, influenza, tuberculosis, etc.