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SCARY THINGS YOUR HOSPITAL WON'T TELL YOU

Although you are going to the hospital so that you can feel better and solve a physical problem, there are hidden dangers that you need to be aware of in order to stay safe.

Many people are blithely unaware that hospitals are a business just like any other.   Mistakes and bureaucracy create danger and challenges to a "consumer", i.e., patient, receiving the best treatment available.   A little knowledge of these hidden dangers and some aggressive maneuvering can help you avoid problems.

•  "Mix ups can easily happen".   Whether an incorrect limb is operated on, or an incorrect medication is administered- simple items like this happen on average to one person per US Hospital a day.   Have a friend or relative present to act as your advocate and oversee you are receiving the correct treatment and medication that won't interfere with any personal allergies or problems.

•  "You may leave sicker than when you came in".   About 2 million people a year contract hospital-related infections, and about 90,000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The recent increase in antibiotic-resistant bugs and the mounting cost of health care have mobilized the medical community to implement processes designed to decrease infections. These include using clippers rather than a razor to shave surgical sites and administering antibiotics before surgery but stopping them soon after to prevent drug resistance.   For all of modern medicine's advances, the best way to minimize infection risk is low-tech: Make sure anyone who touches you washes his hands. Tubes and catheters are also a source of bugs, and patients should ask daily if they are necessary.

•  "Everything is negotiable, even your hospital bill."   Medical bills are a major cause of bankruptcy in the U.S.   Obviously, the hospitals want to get some compensation for their work.   That leaves room for some bargaining.   Hospitals frequently work with patients, offering payment plans or discounts. But to get it, you have to knock on the right door: Look for the office of patient accounts or the financial assistance office.

•  "All hospitals are not created equal."   How do you tell a good hospital from a bad one? For one thing, nurses. When it comes to their own families, medical workers favor institutions that attract nurses.   Low nurse staffing directly affects patient outcomes, resulting in more problems such as urinary tract infections, shock and gastrointestinal bleeding.   The American Nurses Association's Web site lists "magnet" hospitals -- those most attractive to nurses -- and a call to a hospital's nurse supervisor should yield the nurse-to-patient ratio.   You can also call the hospital's quality control or risk-management office to get infection statistics and ask your doctor how frequently the hospital has done a certain procedure. While reporting these statistics is still voluntary, more hospitals are doing so on sites like www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov, which compares hospitals against national averages in certain areas, including how well they follow recommended steps to treat common conditions.

•  "Avoid hospitals in July like the plague."   That's the month when medical students become interns, interns become residents, and residents become fellows and full-fledged doctors. In other words, a good portion of the staff at any given teaching hospital is new on the job.   Another scheduling tip: Try to book surgeries first thing in the morning, and preferably early in the week, when doctors are at their best and before schedules get backed up.

For more detailed information and other daunting things that your hospital won't tell you check out this link