Infection Prevention

Our groundbreaking infection prevention and control program has earned us recognition and results for our commitment to quality and safety. We start with a state-of-the-art facility, high standards of cleanliness and a hospital-wide focus on hand hygiene. We add leading-edge preventive practices and advanced measures for screening and eliminating drug-resistant bacteria. We also have a strong sepsis control program. The results are fewer infections and more successful outcomes.

Best-practice analysis shows that there are several key measures to follow before, during and immediately after a surgical procedure to prevent infection. These measures include antibiotic choice and timing. We also provide you with instructions on pre-surgical antibacterial showers, in both English and Spanish.

We monitor and strive for perfection on each of these measures. Studies have shown that these practices lead to a lower incidence of infection.

Patients who are well-nourished and healthy have a much lower risk of infection. Pay attention to your diet and exercise both before and after surgery. In addition, if you smoke, think about quitting. Smokers are at higher risk of infection and require a longer recovery period.

It is extremely important to follow instructions from your care team. When you leave the hospital, we’ll give you details for the proper way to care for your surgical wound. You also must pay attention to hand hygiene — your own and that of your health care team, including family members who are helping you recover at home.

In the last 30 years, the world has seen a dramatic increase in infections caused by drug-resistant organisms. You may have heard of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), one of the most common of these organisms. In 1974, MRSA accounted for only 2% of all staph infections in the United States. By 2004, that share had leaped to 63%.

To meet this growing threat, we’ve invested in equipment that allows on-site, pre-admission screening for MRSA for all patients having surgery on an inpatient basis. Those who test positive (a small percentage) receive treatment prior to surgery. We credit this program with a significant reduction in MRSA and Staph aureus infections. 

In any hospital, hand hygiene is the single most important measure for the prevention of hospital-acquired infection. At New England Baptist Hospital, all staff members must comply with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest guidelines. All over the hospital, you’ll see dispensers for alcohol-based hand rub and/or foam. Everyone is expected to perform hand hygiene before and after caring for you, and after touching anything in your environment.

But it never hurts for our patients to give us gentle reminders. Feel free to ask your doctor, your nurse and anyone else who enters your room: “Did you wash or sanitize your hands?” And you can ask the same question of any member of your health care team — anywhere in the hospital — who is about to make direct physical contact with you or touch things to be used in your care.