According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 31 patients gets a healthcare-associated infection while staying at the hospital. Often, these happen because hospital procedures and equipment can expose internal parts of your body to germs. The chart below lists common infections and steps you can take to prevent them.
Superbugs
Superbugs are strains of bacteria that are resistant to several types of antibiotics. For many years, antibiotics have been prescribed to people around the world for unnecessary reasons. The overuse of antibiotics helped to create these resistant superbugs; examples include MRSA, VRE, ESBLs and C. diff. These superbugs can be spread from person to person by touch or from contaminated objects on surfaces. They also can survive for long periods of time on hands and other surfaces. Remember to only take antibiotics when prescribed by your doctor. Protect yourself by taking these steps below, and lastly, always remember to wash your hands and ask everyone you see during your stay to wash his or her hands, too.