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It probably comes as a surprise to some, but hospitals aren't clean white buildings where people get well. They are disease repositories, where every bacteria you could ever imagine thrives and multiplies. I'd like to say we do our best to keep it controlled but we don't.
I enforce strict isolation procedures with my students. They have to follow the rules, without deviation. You forgot to get something out of your pocket before you put on an isolation gown? Well, then you have to start over.
Meanwhile, while I am telling students that they have to do all these things, the respiratory therapist comes in, ignores the contact precaution sign other than putting gloves on (without washing her hands), and proceeds to contaminate everything she is carrying with her. In a futile gesture, she wipes the diaphragm of her stethoscope with an alcohol pad. She moves on to the next room, bringing whatever was growing in this room with her. As my student watches, and wonders why he has to gown up every time.
Meanwhile the doctor comes in, with a gown on, but reaches into her pocket to pull out her stethoscope to listen to the patient's lungs, then puts it back in her lab coat pocket, ensuring a gift of antibiotic-resistant bacteria for the next patient whose lungs she listens to. Hopefully that patient has a strong immune system.
I had a friend once who became seriously ill and ended up in the ICU. One of the last things she said as the physician was getting ready to intubate her, was "Did you wash your hands?" She knew.
As I was walking out of the hospital today, I saw a woman walking in with a two-month old baby. A baby with an immune system that is no match for the environment. Don't bring babies to the hospital.
After I saw that woman and her baby, I walked out and saw that there was a big fire on the American River Parkway, just north of the hospital.
I enforce strict isolation procedures with my students. They have to follow the rules, without deviation. You forgot to get something out of your pocket before you put on an isolation gown? Well, then you have to start over.
Meanwhile, while I am telling students that they have to do all these things, the respiratory therapist comes in, ignores the contact precaution sign other than putting gloves on (without washing her hands), and proceeds to contaminate everything she is carrying with her. In a futile gesture, she wipes the diaphragm of her stethoscope with an alcohol pad. She moves on to the next room, bringing whatever was growing in this room with her. As my student watches, and wonders why he has to gown up every time.
Meanwhile the doctor comes in, with a gown on, but reaches into her pocket to pull out her stethoscope to listen to the patient's lungs, then puts it back in her lab coat pocket, ensuring a gift of antibiotic-resistant bacteria for the next patient whose lungs she listens to. Hopefully that patient has a strong immune system.
I had a friend once who became seriously ill and ended up in the ICU. One of the last things she said as the physician was getting ready to intubate her, was "Did you wash your hands?" She knew.
As I was walking out of the hospital today, I saw a woman walking in with a two-month old baby. A baby with an immune system that is no match for the environment. Don't bring babies to the hospital.
After I saw that woman and her baby, I walked out and saw that there was a big fire on the American River Parkway, just north of the hospital.
