Top Docs 2008 Part III: Why to Speak Up

Inpatient Vitals
First time in the hospital? We’ll get you prepped.

Packing like a pro for the big check-in.

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The Must-Haves
• Medical bio. A list of your meds and allergies, lab reports, your PCP’s contact information, etc. Basically, everything you can fit into a binder (or store on a handy flash drive).
• A pen and notebook. From doctors’ names to drug dosages, a lot of new information will be coming at you. Write it all down, along with any questions it raises.
• A friend or relative. Someone with a clear head and your best interests at heart should be by your side for every procedure and consult, and taking notes (see above) when you cannot.

The Extras
• Jammies. Most hospitals will let patients bring their own sleepwear, but try to avoid anything with closed cuffs, which can make IVs or blood sampling difficult.
• A camera phone. It’s good not just for chatting (though many facilities do limit cell-phone use), but also for snapping quick pictures of your medical team to help you remember who’s who.
• A few pints of blood. Patients may be able to “bank” some of their own before going in for surgery.

 

What you need to know—and do—about hospital infections.
Ticking off the checklist with help from Maureen Spencer, infection control manager at New England Baptist Hospital:

• Bacteria that cause infections, including the dread methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), are often carried on the skin. It’s not until they enter the body through a cut that things start getting dangerous.

• Some hospitals, including New England Baptist, have invested in prescreening for surgical patients. If people carrying MRSA aren’t identified ahead of time, Spencer warns, they’ll get the wrong antibiotics for surgery—so you’ll want to ask your physician to test you if the hospital doesn’t offer it.

• Hands are a hot spot for germs, so don’t be shy about asking doctors and nurses if they’ve cleaned theirs. And asking again. And again. The same goes for visitors.

• Another way germs get around is on equipment. Blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, and the like should always be cleaned before using. Also, keep an eye on the C.O.W.s (computer on wheels), Spencer says. “Their keyboards can be the worst.”

• Beware the natty M.D.: Long-sleeve shirts and dangling ties can be germ collectors (which is why Britain this year mandated its doctors wear only scrubs).

• Anything that enters the body, such as a urinary catheter, is a potential conduit for infection. It’s also easy for busy staffers to overlook. “A catheter’s usually left in for a day to monitor outflow; then you want it out as soon as possible,” Spencer says. “The number-one infection-control measure is to constantly ask, ‘Do we need to keep this in?'”

For more information, check out Strike Out Infection (strikeoutinfection.com), a local awareness campaign launched this year with help from a high-profile infection survivor: Red Sox skipper Terry Francona.