FORT LEE, Va. (Nov. 12, 2015) -- Kenner Army Health Clinic encourages patients and health care providers to talk to each other about infection prevention. A great resource for this topic is the Association for Professional Infection Control and Epidemiology website, www.apic.org.
The section, "Infection Prevention and you" includes a pledge people can take to protect themselves and others from infections. Key points in the pledge include the following:
Clean my hands (before eating or handling food, after using the restroom or being around someone ill. Washing vigorously with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds is the most effective way to clean hands. Using alcohol-based hand sanitizer also is very effective.
Ask health care providers to clean their hands if you did not see them do it
Make sure visitors clean their hands
Ask questions about my care and speak up if I have any concerns
Sneeze and cough into my elbow (not my hands) and stay home from school or work when I'm sick
Don't immediately resort to antibiotics; overuse increases the possibility of drug resistance
Learn about common infections people get in health care settings and their risks
Ask to speak with the infection preventionist at the clinic if I have any questions about infection control
Help keep my hospital room clean and if it looks dirty, ask to have it cleaned
Ask my health care providers how I can stay healthy when I go home
It is now the cold and influenza season. By taking these steps and others on the website, the spread of infections may be limited.
For more information, contact the Kenner Patient Safety and Infection Control manager at (804) 734-9028.
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