Nosocomial - Acquired in a Hospital or Healthcare Facility

[futurehope]

DBRITTS answered one of my posts on this forum by appending a medical abstract which says that "complicated UTI's are frequent nosocomial infections..."

Nosocomial infections = those which are the result of treatment in a hospital or healthcare service unit, but secondary to the patient's original condition (source Wikipedia)

How many people who frequent this antibiotic forum KNOW that they have been in a hospital or healthcare facility for treatment of another condition PRIOR to getting IC?

Anyone willing to share?

I know I was an inpatient in a hospital after giving birth and also for a surgery.

It makes you wonder, doesn't it, whether our hospitalization or "outpatient surgery" exposed us to different pathogens?

P.S. A friend of mine developed IC after giving birth to her third child. While in the hospital, they left the catheter (to remove urine) in her longer
than was needed, and the doctor was a pit peeved that they had forgotten to remove her catheter. It's really difficult to prove that this was the start to her problems, but she is one of the lucky ones, who after about 14 years, her IC finally is not bothering her. She was never food-sensitive either, so she tells me. But she went through many years of problems.

[jen74]

It would not suprise me in the least that this could happen. They say hospitals are the dirtiest place to be, which I why I hate going to them. Everytime I go to one, I end up sick with something it seems. Also, some of the health practicioners are not following rules with being clean, and they transfer bacteria to the patients. My frineds baby died becuase a nurse did not practice good hygiene before handling his line, he developed a staph infection and this killed him. He was probably more vunerable since he had just had heart surgery, but when a person comes down with a staph infection in the hospital, it is likely due to bad hygeine from the workers.
My own gastro doc always tells me to try and avoid hospitals if at all possible unless it is an emergency. It is scary.
Jen

[ICNDonna]

While I agree that hospitals do have bacteria, most hospitals take every possible precaution to prevent people from becoming ill. I spent 25 years working in a major hospital and infection control is extremely important. Most hospitals have a specialist who does nothing else but supervise this important aspect of patient care.

Donna

[jen74]

I also think it depends on the hospital as well. I mean I have been to some hospitals that I was just disgusted by and would not want to have any kind of surgery in that hospital. Then there are the better ones. My brother had a accident at work and hurt his hand really bad( he lost most of all his fingers on his right hand and part of his thumb as well). He is in a hospital near his work and it is a beautiful hospital( Alexian Brothers Hospital) and one of the cleanest I have seen. They even have hand sanitizer hanging on the walls in front of each patients room. So I do agree Donna, not all hospitals are very dirty, just that some I have been to, it just shocks me what I see.
Jen

[ICNDonna]

One good way to check on a hospital is to see if they are accredited by the Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation. Believe me when I say that if a hospital passes their scrutiny, they are clean and as safe as possible.

Donna

[PlainJane]

The thing is if you do pick up something at the hospital it could be antibiotic resistant. Also if you already have a weakened immune system you are more likely to pick something up.

Weakened immune system + antibiotic resistant infection = bad news.