You and your doctor or nurse can work together to prevent infections by following these steps.
Talk with the doctor about infections before a procedure.
Before getting a medical procedure, talk to the doctor or nurse about:
- Any medical problems you have, like diabetes
- What will be done to help prevent an infection, like cleaning the skin with bacteria-killing soap
- What you can do to help protect yourself from an infection
Start the conversation by saying, “I know how easy it is for people to get infections. I don’t want it to happen to me.”
If you are having any type of surgery, plan to protect yourself from infection.
Always make sure your doctors and nurses clean their hands.
Ask your doctors and nurses if their hands are clean. This is one of the most important ways to prevent infections. Even if they wear gloves, they still need to wash their hands. Wearing gloves alone is not enough to prevent infections.
If you feel uncomfortable asking the doctors or nurses if their hands are clean, remember that it’s their job to help keep you safe and healthy. Check out this patient’s guide to hand hygiene [PDF - 2 MB].
Ask your visitors to clean their hands, too.
Make sure your family members and friends wash their hands when they visit you. And if a loved one isn’t feeling well, ask her to call you instead of visiting in person.
Speak up if something doesn’t seem right.
Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions before or after your procedure. For example, if your bandages aren’t clean, dry, or attached well, point this out to the doctor or nurse right away.
If you get home and start to feel sick or notice signs of an infection, call your doctor or nurse right away.
Take steps to prevent infections after a procedure.
- Wash your hands often, especially after you’ve had surgery. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and before eating.
- Make sure to wash your hands before touching a wound (cut) or catheter (tube in your vein or bladder).
- Follow the instructions you are given for what to do after the procedure. For example, you might need to follow steps to keep a catheter clean.
- If you have a catheter, have it removed as soon as you no longer need it.
Use medicines safely.
You may have antibiotics or other medicines you need to take after the procedure. Follow the instructions on when, how often, and how long you need to take your medicines.
Keep taking prescription medicines until your doctor tells you it’s okay to stop, even if you are feeling better.
Quit smoking.
People who smoke get more infections. If you smoke, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to make your quit plan.
Get important shots.
Ask your doctor about shots (vaccines) to protect you from infections.
Protect yourself from seasonal flu.
Everyone age 6 months and older needs to get a flu shot every year.
