St. Michael's Hospital - Sauk Centre, Minnesota

Remember: You are an important part of the health care team!

Hand Hygiene:
• Cleansing hands is the easiest way to reduce the risk of spreading germs that cause infection.
• Wash your hands regularly and after using the bathroom, blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, before eating or leaving your room.
• If you cannot get to a sink, please ask your health care provider for a waterless alcohol hand rub.
• Please ask your physician, health care providers and visitors if they have cleansed their hands before touching you. They remove germs from their hands with a waterless alcohol hand rub or with soap and water to protect you.
• Before you or anyone handles or cares for your baby, make sure that their hands have been cleansed.

How to wash your hands:
1. Use soap and warm, running water.
2. Wet your hands.
3. Put some soap on your hands.
4. Rub your hands together for about 20 seconds (two Happy Birthday songs).
5. Cover all surfaces, including between your fingers and under fingernails.
6. Rinse with running water.
7. Dry your hands with a paper towel.
8. Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet.

How to use hand rub:
1. Apply a palmful (as dispensed) of the product in a cupped hand.
2. Rub hands together, covering all surfaces, until dry.
3. Once dry, your hands are safe.

Respiratory Hygiene (Cover your Cough)
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue every time you cough or sneeze.
• If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve/upper arm.
• Turn away from people in the room when you cough or sneeze.
• Put the used tissue in the wastebasket.
• Clean your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
• You may be asked to wear a surgical mask when you leave the room in order to protect others.

Special Precautions:
If you are placed on additional precautions to prevent transmission of infection to others, your nurse will review what the staff will be doing and what your responsibilities are.

You will also receive information about your condition.

Don’t worry if you see staff wearing masks, gloves, or gown. They are preventing the spread of germs.
Serious respiratory illnesses like influenza, whooping cough, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and methicillin resistant staph aureus (MRSA) are spread by coughing or sneezing and unclean hands.

Catheter related bloodstream infections:
• A central venous catheter (line) is put into a large vein so you can get intravenous (IV) medicines, blood, fluids, and/or nutrition.
• The line can stay in place for days or weeks.
• Everyone (you and your health care team members) should cleanse his or her hands before and after touching the line.
• Health care team members will check the skin around your line site every day for signs of infection (redness, warmth, increased drainage, or pain).
• They will also check every day to see if the line is still necessary.

Surgical Site Infections:

• Follow the specific instructions given by your physician for showering and cleansing your skin prior to surgery.
• If you need hair removed from the surgery site, a member of the health care team will use clippers instead of a razor to avoid nicks in your skin. Do not shave the surgery site(s) for several days before the surgery.
• To help prevent infection at the surgery site, you may be given an antibiotic within 60 minutes before surgery. (The antibiotic should be stopped within 24 hours after surgery).
• Before you leave the facility, you will receive special instructions on how to prevent infection when caring for your incision.
• Tell your nurse or notify your physician if your incision becomes warm, painful, red, or have increased drainage.

Urinary Catheter Related Infection:
• Catheters should be put in only when necessary and removed as soon as possible.
• Only properly trained persons can insert catheters using sterile (“clean”) technique.
• The skin in the area where the catheter will be inserted is cleaned before inserting the catheter.
• Other methods to drain the urine can sometimes be used such as putting in a temporary catheter to drain the urine and removing it right away.
• health care providers must clean their hands by washing with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub before and after touching your catheter.
• Avoid disconnecting the catheter and drain tube. This helps prevent germs from getting into the catheter tube.
• The catheter should be secured to the leg to prevent pulling.
• Avoid twisting or kinking the catheter.
• Keep the bag lower than the bladder to prevent back flow.
• Empty the bag regularly.
• Ask your health care provider each day if you still need the catheter.
• If you develop symptoms of a urinary tract infection, such as burning or pain in the lower abdomen, fever, or an increase in the frequency of urination, contact your physician or nurse immediately.

How to Avoid Getting an Infection:
• To prevent pneumonia, follow the breathing instructions you get from your health care team. Ask your nurse or physician about the influenza and pneumonia vaccine.
• Smoking can lead to infections. If you smoke and need help to stop, please tell your nurse or physician.
• If you have diabetes, ask your physician about the best way to control your blood glucose. High blood glucose can increase your risk of infection.
• Clean your hands often with soap and water of an alcohol-based hand cleaner.