What is your Infection Rate?

[Maureen]

When choosing a surgeon do you ask their infection rate for surgery planned for you? Surgeons know their infection rate for various procedures. Are you comfortable asking? Please share your thoughts.

[brj20001]

Are surgeons often willing to share such information? If I ask them for their rates, are they compelled to tell me the truth?

[prakasharige]

I never ask such questions to a surgeon, I'm of the fear that if I ask they will get irritated.

[purrginger]

What I have learned recently on HAIs - yes definitely ask. Do they know what the infection rates are and will they willingly provide the information?

[Anna]

Asking their infection rate would absolutely be part of my list of questions. However, there would still be two problems remaining:

1. Would I trust their answer.

2. I'd have to know what the norm or average was, or else I'd have nothing to compare it to.

[Carol]

Hello, everyone. I am new to the board. My dad died of hospital-acquired MRSA this past February. Is there any place or site that will tell me MRSA rates of infection state by state and hospital by hospital? Thank you.