iStock/ThinkstockBy DR. JENNIFER ASHTON, ABC News Senior Medical Contributor

Approximately 1,000 hospitals in the U.S. are struggling to contain clostridium difficile (C. diff), a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection, according to a new Consumer Reports survey.

Hospital staff need to make sure they’re following basic hygiene. In the survey, only about half the people who had been hospitalized said they always saw their doctor or nurse wash their hands.

Another recommendation is for doctors to stop prescribing so many antibiotics.

Here’s my take:

• Ask your health care provider if the antibiotic you are given is the right one for the infection you have — it’s not one size fits all.

• If you’re given an antibiotic, finish the entire course or treatment. Don’t stop just because you feel better.

• Never take someone else’s medication.

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