“A new study has shown that nearly 50,000 U.S. medical patients die every year of blood poisoning or pneumonia picked up in hospitals, AFP reported.

The study, led by researchers from the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy at Washington-based Resources for the Future, showed that hospital-acquired sepsis and pneumonia in 2006 claimed 48,000 lives, led to 2.3 million extra patient-days in hospital and cost 8.1 billion dollars.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine on Monday, said the two hospital-acquired infections — also called nosocomial infections — accounted for about one-third of the 1.7 million infections U.S. patients pick up every year while in the hospital.

Nearly half of the 99,000 deaths a year from hospital-acquired infections reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are also likely caused by the two infections.”

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1827159/infection_deaths_from_us_hospitals/index.html

COMMENT : 48,000 is 131 per day , or 5 per hour, or one person every 12 minutes dying from a preventable infection. The link below is a great resource for infor mation you will need if you find yourself in hospital. But the responsibility is not just with the hospital.

http://www.hospitalinfection.org/protectyourself.shtml

1. If you feel ill do not visit the hospital.

2. Make sure your clothes are clean and that you are not bringing contamination into the hospital.

3. Make sure your doctor and hospital staff have on clean white coats / jacets/scrubs.

Also i would like to mention the resposibility of family in providing “snacks” for their loved ones.

There was a time when visisting the hospital, at the bedside we would see fresh fruits on the table. Now we see potato chips, cookies and candy. All of these food products help create a state of acidity within the body.

Exactly the environment that microbes look for to thrive.

We all know that hospital food is not the most healthy nor nutrtious. The dietitions use a calculater more than a nutrient guide, to “calculate” meals. And the salad is usually insipid “iceberg” with a slice or two of tomato.

Bring in your loved ones some organic greens, mix up a home dressing and bingo , they will love you for it.

When people are ill they need for that will heal them. Food that is easy to digest, fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, soups.

Bring them in a few lemons , so they can squeeze in in their water. Lemons are alkalizing in the body. Microbes don’t like alkaline. Aviod the very sugary fruits like banana, go more for grapes , plums, blueberries, and make sure they are organic , the commercial grade stuff is loaded with chemicals.

Its difficult to get raw food or vegan food ordered in the hospital, but they will provide it if you ask. Don’t know if a totally raw diet would be acceptable  , but don’t see raw foodists ill in the hospital anyhow !!!

 But please don’t bring sweet or sugary beverages and “treats”. Its challenging enough for the Doctors to maintain patients sugar levels under the stress of hospital. So don’t make things worse with chips, soft drinks, and all that sugar, for a person who for most of the day, is  sleeping or motionless in bed.  This is not creating the right healing environment.

If we all do something to help this “infection crisis” then things will get much better.

magk