Category: Patient Safety

Each year, as many as 250,000 Canadians suffer from hospital acquired infections, resulting in up to 12,000 annual deaths. It is estimated that over 30% of hospital acquired infections are preventable. Proper hand hygiene is the single most important way to prevent the spread of infections.

But how do you ensure that your doctor or nurse has washed their hands before they attend to you? See for example my article: Did You Wash Your Hands!? A Lesson in Tact

I have written before about the dangers of hospital acquired infections: Nova Scotia Medical Errors: C- difficile Infections kill 4 in Cape Breton Hospitals

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