The measures prevented 135 superficial surgical site infections that otherwise would have cost $4million to treat. That's the good news. The bad news is that it cost $29,600.00 to treat a superficial surgical site infection. While we should applaud efforts to avoid the infections in the first place, we need to address the issue of why it cost so much to treat what is often a minor problem.

It's wonderful what can be done when people put their minds to it. However, dysfunctional incentives too often block this. For example, a recent report published in the October edition of Health Affairs found that while fewer surgical complications is an indicator of better patient safety and higher quality care, for a hospital performing 10,000 inpatient surgeries per year, annual cash flow could drop by $1.2 million for each 1 percent drop in the complication rate. In my own instance, an incompetent surgeon botched a broken leg repair, leaving me unable to walk w/o crutches for 7 months and necessitating knee replacement. The hospital has no interest in removing him because it made far more money via poor quality.

According to CNN The Chart site, 100,000 people die each year from preventable infections they acquire in hospitals. Mostly from catheters and ventilation machines. Staph infections also play a role. But most of these can be prevented if simple steps are taken. If loved ones have someone in the hospital, they are advised to ask staff to wash their hands every time they enter the room, to make sure to ask if ventilators can be removed each day, as they are ripe places for breeding nasty germs causing deadly lung infections. And look out for urinary track infections as well as blood infections from catheters.

Many doctors just take for granted that if patients acquire infections while at the hospitals, it is just normal. But that is not the case. By taking proactive steps with ventilators for instance, up to 70% of secondary lung infections can be reduced. It is up to each of us to be our own advocates as well when we must go in. Don't assume the staff will always be looking out for your best interests.

Medicare no longer pays for hospital acquired infections, and hasn't for several years now. It was thought one way to help encourage hospitals to take measures to cut down on infections.But it hasn't made any difference. It is a tragedy patients are dying from infections not related to the reasons they went into hospitals to begin with. Hopefully with informed patients, that can be prevented more.