Preventing Infection After Surgery
Preventing Infection After SurgeryAfter surgery, you are not at full strength. Your body needs time to heal and repair itself. When you are in thisweakened state, your risk of developing an infection increases. And an infection can complicate your recoveryand put your overall health at risk.You could develop an infection from the spread of germs. And germs are everywhere, from a cough or sneezetraveling through the air, on the surfaces you touch, even in the hospital.The best way to prevent the spread of germs is to wash your hands often - before and after you eat, after youuse the restroom, before you leave your room and when you come back, before and after touching any of yourbandages and dressings, and after you come in contact with another person.Use soap and warm, running water. Vigorously scrub all surfaces, including your palms, the backs of yourhands, between your fingers, your thumbs, and on your fingertips and under your nails. Scrub for at least 15 to20 seconds every time.If soap and water are not available, you can still wash your hands. Use alcohol- based hand sanitizer. Alcoholbased hand sanitizer can actually kill the germs it comes in contact with. But if your hands are dirty, the alcoholcannot reach the germs. So, if you can see dirt on your hands, it is better to use soap and water.Visitors and hospital staff may carry germs with them as well. Protect yourself. Speak up and remind them towash their hands each time they come into your room and each time they leave.In order to protect against germs, your bandages need to be changed on a regular basis and the surgical siteneeds to be cleansed properly. If you notice your bandages are wet, dirty, or are starting to come off, lethospital staff know so they can change them.And when hospital staff change your dressings or bandages, make sure they wash their hands before and aftertreating you and that they are wearing proper protective equipment, like gloves.Tubes and catheters can increase your risk of developing an infection. The longer they are in your body, themore at risk you are. Talk to your healthcare provider about removing the tube or catheter as soon as possible.While it is in, make sure you follow your healthcare provider’s instructions to keep it clean and sanitized.While you recover watch for signs of infection, including fatigue - you may feel more and more tired each day,instead of steadily getting better, a fever, chills, vomiting, or diarrhea.At the surgical site, you may notice the area feels hot and may be red, the area smells foul, increased swellingaround the incision area, tenderness and soreness, and drainage from the wound site.If you do notice any of these signs of infection, tell your healthcare provider right away. The faster yourinfection is treated, the faster you can get back on the road to recovery.Pneumonia is another type of infection that you may be at an increased risk of after surgery. Pneumonia is abuild-up of fluid in the lungs and can be serious.To strengthen your lungs and prevent pneumonia, your healthcare provider will prescribe specific breathingexercises called incentive spirometry and controlled coughing.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.VER59416B EN PreventingInfectionAfterSurgery.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 2Preventing Infection After SurgeryPerform these exercises as directed but expect to do them about ten times each hour. If you feel pain whiledoing your breathing exercises, talk to your healthcare provider about proper pain management to help youreach your controlled coughing goals.Doing your breathing exercises as directed can help clear your lungs of excess fluids, helping you breatheeasier, feel better and prevent infection.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.VER59416B EN PreventingInfectionAfterSurgery.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 2 of 2
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