The following is a transcript of a report by medical editor Marilyn Brooks that first aired Nov. 14, 2006, on WTAE Channel 4 Action News at 5 p.m.

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You go to hospital to get well, but a new report shows that thousands of Pennsylvanians don't get well in hospitals, they get sicker, and lots of times they die. For the first time ever, you and I can now determine whether we want to go to a specific hospital, because for the first time ever, their infection rates are out for everyone to see.

It is the simplest of infection control rules, something your mother taught you as a child: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

But many hospital professionals aren't doing that and patients are paying the price.

Nancy Stanziana went into Mercy Hospital last year for a hysterectomy. About six-hours later, flesh eating bacteria was destroying the inside of her abdomen.

"It feels like its on fire," said Stanziana. "I said it hurts so bad. I got really scared. I started crying. I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, it's going to kill me. It's going to eat me alive.'"

"She had a total of seven surgeries in eight days to save her life," said Stanziana's husband, Blane.

"Everybody's in a hurry these days, and they just have to slow down," said health care advocate Paul Brown. "Because the 30 seconds or one minute it would have taken to wash your hands, now ends up keeping that person in hospital an extra 16 days."

Brown talks about information in a report that reveals the infection rates in Pennsylvania's 168 hospitals.

"Here in Pennsylvania, more than 19,000 patients acquired infections at the hospital and of those 19,000, 2,400 died, and nationally, 90,000 people died," said Brown.

One simple fact is, if you get a hospital infection, you'll spend an average of 20.6 days in hospital, rather than 4.5 days, and you'll spend an average of $185,000, rather than $31,389, so patients and families would be wise to keep their eyes open..

There's no way to show all 168 hospitals in Pennsylvania, but here's a few to quickly read through.

Butler Memorial is ranked the worst in the state for hospital acquired infections with 39.4 people infected per 1000

Jefferson Regional 28.7

Allegheny General - 19.9

Mercy Hospital - 17.4

St. Clair Memorial - 17.3

UPMC Presby-Shadyside - 16.2

Beaver Medical - 10.1

West Penn Hospital - 9.4

Westmoreland Regional - 9

UPMC Passavant - 5.5

The question to keep in mind is: Is a bad rating the reflection of honesty, better reporting or poor practice?

No one knows yet.

It is fair to say major medical centers might have more cases because they treat more people and perform more procedures.

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Related Links:

For more information, visit PennPirg.org

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