Reduce risk of infection

Re “Beating the superbug,” editorial, Jan. 14

Patients need to know what they can do to reduce their own risk of infection from the staph superbug known as MRSA.

Most important, ask that hospital staffers clean their hands before treating you. If you’re worried about being too aggressive, remember that your life is at stake. Don’t be falsely reassured by gloves. If caregivers have pulled on gloves without cleaning their hands first, the gloves are contaminated before they touch you.

If you need surgery, choose a surgeon with a low infection rate. Surgeons know their rates for various procedures. Don’t be afraid to ask.

Beginning three to five days before surgery, begin showering or bathing daily with chlorhexidine soap. It will help remove MRSA and other dangerous bacteria you may be carrying on your skin. Several brands can be bought without a prescription. Do not shave the surgical site. Razors create small nicks in the skin through which bacteria can enter. If hair must be removed, ask that clippers be used.

Betsy McCaughey

Chairman, Committee to

Reduce Infection Deaths

New York

The American Medical Assn. applauds your editorial for accurately highlighting the threat that overuse or misuse of prescription antibiotics poses to our nation’s public health. To preserve the effectiveness of these treatments, caution must be practiced when considering their use. Over time, taking unnecessary antibiotics can cause bacteria to become resistant, making once-potent treatments ineffective.

In recent years, resistant bacterial infections have become a growing problem that cannot be ignored. The AMA works to educate physicians about appropriately prescribing antibiotics. It is crucial that physicians help their patients understand their antibiotic therapy, the importance of compliance with the prescribed regimen and the consequences of antimicrobial resistance.

Ronald M. Davis MD

President

American Medical Assn.

Chicago