As to catheter straps, if fastened too tightly they can act as tourniquets, cutting off the needed flow of blood and presenting. And at least theoretically, use of straps brings about a risk of increasing the complications such as "…deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism" in those patients with "impaired lower extremity circulation" (Billington 504). Research presented in this article shows that the problem of infection due to poorly attached catheters can be reduced significantly through the use of a product called "Bard StatLock" -- which, the authors insist, is an effective stabilization device because it allows movement (through a swivel clip), because it is a "sterile latex-free, tug-resistant product" (Billington 504). An article in the journal RN, incidentally, states that treating "hemodialysis catheter-related bacteremia" can cost a hospital up to $45,000.

Washing "Bloody Hands": An article in the Australian Nursing Journal asserts, "…hand hygiene is the single most effective method of reducing the spread of infections" (Dempsey 2008). The NSW Health Department has a policy called "Directive for Infection Control" which urges healthcare professionals to "practise hand hygiene" (Dempsey 34). Even Florence Nightingale understood how critically important it was "all those years ago," Dempsey writes; hence, it is hard to understand why "many of us seem to be good at washing our hands when obviously dirty or bloody," but individuals in nursing seem to "struggle with the idea of washing our hands before having contact with our patients…"

That having been said, Dempsey (34) points to "gradual and constant increases" in compliance albeit she insists it has been a "long and windy road" to get healthcare professionals up to speed on the importance of washing hands.

Self-Improvement Vis-a-vis Infections: Jean DerGurahian writes in Modern Healthcare that U.S. hospitals are using technology to improve infection...

Indeed, as more states mandate infection reporting, hospitals are forming collaborative relationships with other hospitals to use Web-based technologies as a means of communicating to all staff the importance of infection reporting and prevention. Twenty-Six of the 50 states now require -- through law -- that hospitals submit infection data to central databases in those states (DerGurahian 2009, 2). The one conundrum with reference to states requiring reporting of infections is that there is a wide variance as to which infections to require hospitals to report, how often, and how facilities are supposed to actually provide data.
Conclusion: The seriousness of the infection-related healthcare issues should get the attention of not only nurses and doctors, but of administrators as well. Whether it is catheters that are not secure, patients infected with HIV / AIDS, the need to property dispose of sharps and needles, simply washing hands, or providing incomplete information to nurses and healthcare staff -- infection issues cry out for solutions.

Works Cited

Aziz, a.M., Ashton, H., Pagett, a., Mathieson, K., Jones, S., & Mullin, B. (2009).

Sharps management in hospital: an audit of equipment, practice and awareness.

British Journal of Nursing, 18(2), 92-98.

Billington, a., Crane, C., Jownally, S., Kirkwood, L., & Roodhouse, a. (2008).

Minimizing the complications associated with migrating catheters. British Journal

Of Community Nursing, 13(11), 502-504.

Dempsey, Kathy. (2009). Wash your "bloody" hands. Australian Nursing Journal,

16(6), 34.

DerGurahian, Jean. (2009). Focus on self-improvement. Modern Healthcare, 39(6),

32-34.

Kagan, Ilya, Ovadia, Karin Lee, & Kaneti, Tami. (2009). Perceived Knowledge of Blood-

Borne Pathogens and Avoidance of Contact…