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You can help protect yourself from infections when you get medical care. This is especially important when you have a medical procedure, like surgery or dialysis.
Take these steps to help prevent infections when you have a medical procedure:
Germs can spread from one patient to another or from doctors and nurses to patients. You're at higher risk of getting infections from germs if:
The good news is that patients and doctors can work together to prevent the spread of germs and avoid infections. Learn more about preventing infections.
Infections people get from visiting a hospital, health clinic, doctor’s office, or other health care facility are called health care-associated infections (HAIs).
These infections can lead to sickness and even death. Examples of HAIs include blood infections and urinary tract infections from catheters.
Learn more about common HAIs:
Common signs that you may have an infection include:
You and your doctor or nurse can work together to prevent infections by following these steps.
Before having surgery or getting another type of medical procedure, talk with your doctor or nurse about:
Start the conversation by saying, “I know how easy it is for people to get infections. I don’t want it to happen to me.”
Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions before or after your procedure. For example, tell the doctor or nurse if your bandages aren’t clean, dry, or attached well. Your safety is their priority.
After your procedure, pay close attention to changes in your health. If you get home and start to feel sick or notice signs of an infection, call your doctor or nurse right away.
Ask your doctors and nurses if they washed their hands. This is one of the most important ways to prevent infections. Even if they wear gloves, they still need to wash their hands before putting them on — just wearing gloves is not enough to prevent infections.
You might feel uncomfortable asking the doctors or nurses if their hands are clean — but remember that it’s their job to help keep you safe and healthy.
For more information, check out this patient’s guide to hand hygiene [PDF - 1.4 MB].
Make sure your family members and friends wash their hands when they visit you. And if a loved one isn’t feeling well, ask them to call instead of visiting in person.
It's important to follow all the instructions you get for what to do after a medical procedure. For example, be sure to:
You may need to take antibiotics or other medicines after a procedure. Be sure to follow the instructions on when, how often, and how long you need to take your medicines.
If you're taking antibiotics:
Call your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist right away if you have any questions about your medicine — or if you're worried that your medicine is making you feel worse.
Ask your doctor about important vaccines to protect you from infections. Learn which vaccines adults need to stay safe.
Quit smoking. Patients who smoke get more infections. Talk to your doctor about how you can quit before your surgery. If you smoke, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to make your quit plan.