Page 14 - StLV Guide 2017

10
Wash Your Hands With Soap And Warm Water For 15 To
20 Seconds.
Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
No Soap? Use Sanitizer.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands. Simply apply sanitizer to your palm and continue to rub over the entire surface of your hands and ngers until they are completely dry.
Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
1. Wash Hands
• After touching objects or surfaces
• Before eating
• After using the restroom
Are You At Risk For A Blood Clot?
Deep-vein thrombosis or DVT,
is a blood clot that forms in a vein, often in the lower leg or thigh. When the blood clot breaks away and travels through the blood stream to an artery, blocking blood ow, it can cause death or damage to the brain, heart, or lungs.
Risks of blood clots are greater if you
are inactive for long periods, such as during a hospital stay. To lower your risk
of DVT, follow these tips:
• Talk to your doctor about your risk of DVT and the use of compression stockings or blood-thinners while in the hospital.
• Notice the following symptoms during your stay: swelling, pain, tenderness, or discoloration in one or both legs, arm, or neck; sudden coughing that may bring up blood; sharp chest pain; rapid breathing or shortness of breath; severe light- headedness.
Courtesy, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Prevent Falls
Falls may occur when a patient tries to get out of bed either to go to the bathroom or walk around the room when they are weak or unsteady due to illness, inactivity, or the side e ects of medications.
If you need to get out of bed:
• Use your call button to ask for help getting out of bed if you feel unsteady.
• Ask for help going to the bathroom or walking around the room or in hallways.
• Always use handrails in the bathroom and hallways.
• Wearnon-slip socks or footwear.
• Do not let your robe or pajamas drag the oor; they may trip you.
• Keep the call button and items you need within your reach.
• Lower the height of the bed if you need to, but never try to lower your bed rails or climb over them while they are in the up position.
• Talk to your doctor if your medicine makes you sleepy, light-headed, sluggish, or confused. Ask how to reduce these side e ects or if you can take another medicine.
Courtesy of e Joint Commission
PATIENT SAFETY
Ways To Prevent Hospital Infection
During your stay, there is a possibility you may develop an infection. You can reduce your risks by taking these simple precautions:
3. Cover If You Are Sick. Limit the spread of germs by sneezing and coughing into tissues that
you promptly throw away. Avoid touching other people. If you do develop an infection, ask the sta if there is anything else you should do to help prevent the spread of germs.
4. Check Your Bandages. If a bandage on a wound or IV becomes loose or wet, tell your nurse. Tell your nurse if your catheter or drainage tube becomes loose or dislodged.
5. Remind Sta To Clean Their Hands. Your healthcare providers wash their hands both before and a er they touch you. While this is standard practice, don’t hesitate to speak up and ask them to wash their hands if they forget.
6. Tell Guests Not To Visit If They Are Sick. Ask them to wash their hands when they enter your room.
2. Keep Vaccinations Up-To- Date. Be sure you are protected from the spread of infection by knowing what vaccinations you might need. If you don’t know, ask your hospital sta .