Newspapers And Tevlevision Have decried The Wanton Disregard For Patients Saftey By Hospital In The U.S., Due To A Disregard For Sanitary Practices As Simple As "Washing Their Hands

With the Release ( Sale ) Of "Non-Water" Hand Cleaners, It Is Now Possible For Doctor.Nurses and others who administer To patients, to keep their Hands Clean without experiencing the painfull "Chapped Hands" that resulted when soap was the only media for keeping the hands clean...According to the CDC & Prevention Using the chemical Hand Washer for ten (10) to fifteen (15) seconds is more effective than using soap and water.

Deaths Attributed To Poor Sanitary Practices And Mistakes In Administering Medication... By Hospital Personal are advertised as in the 40,000 To 98,000 Range.*

Highlights added by page author.

*Article In The Chicago Tribunes Dear Abby Notes:

* Dear Abby: When my father was in the hospital for cancer treatment (surgery and chemotherapy ) a doctor examined my fathers surgical wound without first washing his hands

When I asked the doctor to please wash his hands, he appeared angry.  After that incident, my mother was afraid to ask anyone to wash his or her hands before attending to my father, because she wanted them to be nice to him.  We were at their mercy.

I have seen Doctors, Nurses, Technicians and other hospital personnal come into a patient's room and either not wash their hands, or simply run water over their hands before attending to a patient. I have also seen some people come into a patient's room with a cold.

In an article in the Annals Of Internal Medicine ( Jan 19, 1999 ) a study showed that Not Only Do Health Care Workers Wash Their Hands Less Frequently Than They Should but they do not wash them for even ten ( 10 ) seconds--even though most protocols require thirty ( 30 ) seconds of hand washing. Studies have shown that washing hands for less than ten (10) to fifteen ( 15 ) seconds has limited effectiveness. Hands must be washed before putting on gloves, for just putting on gloves does not protect patients well enough.

Abby Responded To " Concerned Daughter Of A Patient "

Dear Daughter: Your Letter Is Shocking, And I'm Pleased To Help Spread The Message.

The Mayo Clinic, The World-Renowned Medical Mecca in Minnsota, has sponsored Infection Awareness Week  Programs.

It's time other hospitals followed Mayo's Program !!. The campaign included prominently displaying posters along the corridors

A PAIR OF HANDS UNDER THE TERSE MESSAGE---" THE TEN MOST COMMON CAUSES OF INFECTION "

Doctors, Nurses and Other Employee of the Mayo Clinic  were reminded to wash their hands frequently by other posters bearing catchy slogan:

A Milligram Of Hand -Washing Is Worth A Kilogram Of Antibiotics

Abby Ends Article with:

ANYONE WHO ENCOUNTERS A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WHO FAILS TO ADHERE TO RECOMMENDED HYGIENE PRACTICES IS URGED TO SPEAK UP  ABOUT IT AND TO REPORT IT TO THE HOSPITAL ADMINSTRATOR IN WRITING.

HAVE READ THAT INSTEAD OF HAND WASHING, SOME INSTITUTIONS USE ALCOHOL-BASED HAND RINSES AND GELS CONTAINING SOFTENERS THAT REMOVE BACTERIA AND ARE LESS IRRITATING OR DRYING TO THE HANDS.

PROPER HYGENIC PRACTICES ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF HIGH QUALITY MEDICAL CARE. NO ONE SHOULD SETTLE FOR LESS !!!

* Typed verbatim from Dear Abby Article

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Page Authors Comments

First, Bless the Patients Daughter who took the time to write to Dear Abby. As I (page author ) read what she had communicated I felt ashamed that I had not sent, for during the past ninty ( 90 ) days...prior to release of this page... I too have witnessed..what appears to be A Blatant Disregard For Patient Safety From Germs..Bacteria

A family member was , as result of a illness, required to go to a prominent hospital. During her stay at the hospital she experienced five ( 5 ) infections not related to the condition for which she was admitted. Also witnessed Doctors and hospital personnel walking into her room ... administer to other patient, in the room... and without washing hands or wearing gloves, examine tubing inserted in body cavities..touching open wounds, setting up intravenous solutions.

Page authors comment: Until reading The Dear Abby article,( I ) was not aware that just putting on rubber gloves..unless you wash your hands first... does not protect the patient. Next Time I see my Dentist, Doctor(s) will give them a copy of the Dear Abby article.

When her husband ( My Brother ) asked about the lack of "Hand Washing" The looks and attitude of the hospital personnel..Doctors, et-al communicated "that they did not like to be questioned ". Brother learned that You Truly Are At Their Mercy .

As result of this experience, offer that hospitals   seriously consider the following:

Adherence To The Mayo " Awareness " Program

That Caretakers..Nurses...Must Speak The Language,

The lack of knowledge, of the American mode of speech ( english ) and syntex results in the constant need for caretakers to refer to others for help.This causes the time fence to increase before the patient receives the required care,as The Person Or Persons Who Could Provide The Help Are Ususally Busy With Their Own Duties!!

That No One With A "Cold" Be Allowed To Enter The Hospital

This includes ALL  hospital personnel, regardless of whether the personnel administer to patients, as colds can be transmitted to caretakers, Nurses, Doctors who Do administer to patients

That the number of visitors to patients room be limited.

I ( page author ) have seen seven (7 ) people crowd into a two bed hospital room, with ballons, while the other patient in the room, was recovering from surgery. I've also seen a doctor walk into the same room and examine the patients wound with bare hands. Doctor did not stop to wash his/her hands or were wearing rubber gloves.

That hospitals Insist That Rules Regarding The Transfer Of Information  from one caretaker to another..when shifts change BE ENFORCED.

During his wifes stay, at the hospital, brother encountered numerous times when Nurses, Caretakers coming on duty did not know what had to be done ( administered ) for his wife. What frustrated brother was the apparent indifference exhibited by hospital personnel about their lack of the required information. To them it was no big deal

That No Patients Hospital Room Have Carpeting

Carpeting allows whatever is on visitors shoes to be ground into the carpet. Allows food particles, spilled milk, coffee, tea, etc to be ground into the carpet and generate bacteria. Accident happen. Have seen visitors bending over to kiss patients, knock the patients food tray onto the floor. Caretaker cleaned the mess, but no one,at least while I was there, came in to vacuum the carpet.

The Installation Of Carpeting In Patients Rooms May have Been Made For Economic Reasons, As Installing Carpets may be more cost effective than Laying Tile Pieces. But The Economies realized in Damp or Dry Mopping A Tile Floor Verses The Use Of A Vacuum Cleaner Would Eventually Make The Tile Installation More Cost Effective. It Is Also Possible That A Full Sheet Tile Floor Could Be Installed.

An Article in the New York Times ( Nov 9, 1999) reported that a study at Duke University found that ONly 17% of physicians treating patients in intensive care units washed their hands appropriately.

The Times went on to reoport that, according to the Center For Disease Control & Prevention, Five ( 5 ) percent of people admitted to hospitals, about 1.8 million patients a year, Will Pick Up An Infection There, AND 20,000 Of Them Will Die As A Direct Result.