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Guide to Being A Safe Patient or Caregiver to Help Prevent Infections

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11 Antibiotics Antibiotics may be used to prevent or treat HAIs, but they also can contribute to other infections and harms to patients. Healthcare professionals should prescribe antibiotics in the appropriate type and dosage, and only when needed. Ask your healthcare team if there are any antibiotic allergies listed in your medical record. If so, ask whether they should be rechecked. Removing an unnecessary antibiotic allergy label in a patient's medical record may allow the patient to take antibiotics that have a lower risk of causing harm. Patient prompts: If you are told that you need antibiotics, ask, "Do I have a bacterial infection?" If you have an antibiotic allergy in your medical record, ask, "Should this allergy be rechecked?" If you are taking antibiotics, ask, "Should I keep taking these antibiotics?" Pediatric Patients Some pediatric patients – especially pre-term newborns – can get sick very easily. Caregivers and visitors should be up-to-date with their vaccines, meaning that they have gotten the vaccines recommended for them. Vaccinated caregivers and visitors can help to protect patients by "cocooning" them with the immunities from their vaccines. Pediatric patients may not be able to follow instructions consistently. Caregivers can help them with the steps in this guide and any special instructions from the healthcare team to keep them safe.

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