THE NURSE IS IN
By Chris Hammerlund
Dear Chris: My brother was supposed to be in the hospital for a few days because of a gall bladder operation. That went fine but he contracted some infection and was very sick for another week. It was very scary for him and the entire family. I’ve heard of such things but are hospitals trying to address this issue? Roberta in Vernon Hills
Dear Roberta: I’ve written before about how washing your hands – and making everyone else wash, too – might be the single most effective way to guard your family’s health. My grandkids know I am very strict about this. They have to deal with it because I’m not changing my mind.. It’s a very big point of order for the great private duty nurses who work for me.
But guess who is even worse about personal hygiene than little kids?
Professional medical staff, as it turns out. This means hospitals are far more dangerous than they should be. But before you jump to any conclusions, the reason why is not because medical professionals are careless or indifferent; it’s because their lives inside hospitals are terrifically busy. A physician, floor nurse, or tech might deal with a dozen patients every hour, even if there are no traditional emergencies.
As a result, health professionals' compliance with hand-hygiene guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization hovers between 40% and 50% nationally. It’s a deadly rate. The country has 1.7 million health care-associated infections every year and 99,000 patients die of these infections each year, the CDC says.
So, how do we fix this? Hire people to creep around and watch everyone? Might work, but it seems clunky and sneaky.
As it turns out, technology might be the far better cure.
More hospitals are exploring systems using wireless, infrared, radio frequency identification and alcohol-sensing technology. So far, hospitals are using technology to gauge their hand-hygiene performance and encourage compliance while steering clear of punishing anyone.
For example, the University Iowa’s teaching hospital is testing the HyGreen system in 22 single-bed intensive care unit rooms. The system uses technology originally developed to detect alcohol on the breath to sense the alcohol in gels and soaps on health professionals' hands.
If the substance is detected, an infrared signal sent to the professional's badge turns on a green light. A gentle reminder. More monitors buzz if they don’t wash.
How has it worked? Before the little badge, hand washing compliance was 67%; now it’s 90%. Other hospitals have had similar results.
Testing with other systems is advancing all across the country. Best guess on the cost is about $2,000 per bed in a hospital. That sounds like a lot. But considering the human and financial cost of letting infections run rampant, it seems like a smart way to invest.
Who am I, and why would a person listen to me? Both fair questions. I’m Christine Hammerlund and I’ve been a nurse for 40 years. I have delivered babies, saved lives, and cared for hundreds of patients through their medical triumphs and tragedies. Now I run Assured Healthcare, a multi-million dollar medical staff provider in Illinois. I live in Antioch, Ill. Got health questions for me, whether large or small? I’ll answer. Chrishammerlund@yahoo.com
