Hospital infections, no surprise to me...

While in the hospital, my blood test indicated http://www.neutropenia.ca/about/index.html neutropenia which indicates a susceptibility to infections and precautions need to be taken, ie gloves and masks.

Immediately, masks were brought to my family... signs were posted on my door. the beautiful roses my girls brought me were removed from my room. Sounds like the hospital was on top of things.

Repeat blood worked needed to be done to see if I could have the scheduled tests for the following day.

But sadly, not everyone was with the program... As everyone sat in the room masked, a nurse came in to do my blood work. Mask on??? NO! My father told her of the precaution and she said, "Oh, no, that is only if you have a cold." She continued to work on me.

My dad said, "no you are wrong" but she continued. My dad went to the nurses station to complain. At first they said the same thing as her, but then the resident said, 'maybe she has a lukopenia precaution.' Yes, my dad said. They admitted that no one should be in there without a mask or gloves.

Literally 15 minutes later, someone barges in (is that sign really there or can people not read???) saying 'new patient coming'

I said, 'you can't put someone else here unless they are going to wear a mask!'

ONLY THEN did she look at the big note on the door... "Ohhhhhhhh." and she was gone.

Oddly, there are signed posted in the room about hand washing... But of course, that would require someone to READ them!

Even the next day, when I was on a liquid diet and then, no food, in prep for some tests, no one read the sign posted on my door. (I know that these people can read... the effort is apparently too daunting)

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Infections_in_hospital_reduce_the_risk?OpenDocument


During my ARDS hospitalize, I suffered a pseudonomas at the site of my trach. I have read a ton of articles about hospital infections and how they are passed, often from staff to patient. But until something is done to chage the minds of the staff themselves, patients like us will always be the loser.

I was awake this time; I also had family to advocate for me. But what if I did not.

it is, too say the least, frustrating to deal with all of this crap, and still be in ill health...

And even though my next blood test results were normal, I am still infection prone, with a low IgG and IgA and it should not be a fight to have hospital staff do what they themselves ordered.