Infections are frightening – just ask anyone with an imminent surgery, joint replacement, or hospital stay, and many will tell you their biggest concern is developing an infection while there.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 25 patients will have at least one healthcare-acquired infection (HAI) following a hospital stay. Many are the result of germs picked up during the stay, resulting in issues such as pneumonia, gastrointestinal illness, or sepsis. And infections aren’t necessarily revealed at the hospital; they can develop as much as a week or month after going home.
Common signs of infection include chills or generally feeling unwell; discharge at the wound or surgical site; increased pain/tenderness; and fever, particularly when combined with increased swelling, redness, and warmth at the site.
RVNA home health nurses, therapists, and aides are all trained to check for infections and administer appropriate treatments. They monitor patients at every visit, testing for fever, tracking wounds that aren’t healing, monitoring warning signs, and referring patients to their physicians immediately if an infection is identified or suspected. They also practice the universal precautions for infection control and prevention— hand washing, glove wearing, and the rigorous protocols added when treating a patient with a wound.