You expect the hospital to be a safe, clean place. You expect that when you go to the hospital for surgery, the instruments and tools used on you will be sterilized and clean. You will have your surgery, recover, go home, and feel better than you did before. Usually, this is what happens.
But not always. Sometimes, and more often than we really want to know, the instruments are imperfectly cleaned. Bits of blood and tissue are left behind, clogging the complex tools and harboring infection. Read more about this problem (warning: the link has graphic descriptions and photos, do not click if you do not want to see these graphic descriptions) from iWatch News from the Center for Public Integrity.
The FDA has investigated these problems, and are creating a draft policy for device manufacturers that will in no way be binding upon the manufacturers. This is unacceptable. People deserve to be safe in hospitals, not get sicker.
Related Articles
- Report: Dirty surgical tools used on hospital patients (foxnews.com)
- TODAY Investigates: Dirty surgical tools (todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com)
- FDA Targets Risks From Reused Medical Devices (medicalnewstoday.com)
wartica
/ February 23, 2012This is very alarming to find out; who would have thought that certain hospitals wouldn’t take better care of them. Great post and I look forward to sharing more with you:)