Consumers / Patients
Healthcare-associated infections are infections that are acquired during an encounter with the healthcare system - hospitals, long term care facilities, dialysis, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers.
Who is at risk of acquiring these infections?
- Patients who have surgery or open wounds
- Patients with invasive medical devices like intravenous catheters, urinary catheters or ventilators
As a patient, YOU play an important role in preventing infections in healthcare settings. Become a smart consumer by educating yourself about ways to prevent these infections.
- Patient Safety: Ten Things You Can Do to Be a Safe Patient from the CDC
- Patient Guides on Healthcare-Associated Infections from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America
- Protect Yourself from MRSA from the CDC
- MRSA Fact Sheet (JAMA)
Safe Injection Practices
Healthcare providers should never use a needle or syringe either from one patient to another or to withdraw medicine from a shared vial. Both needle and syringe should be discarded once they have been used.
Contact Us
Joel Merriman, MPH
Syndromic Surveillance / HAI Coordinator
Communicable Disease Epidemiology Program
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
Phone: (406) 444-0274
