MRSA killing more people than HIV !!

[LivinLOS]

I know this isnt Thai related.. But having had this bacterial infection myself, and nearly losing my leg to it a couple of times over a few years I tend to notice these stories..

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/he...ct.html?ref=us

Bacterial Infection Killed Almost 19,000 in 2005

ATLANTA, Oct. 16 — Nearly 19,000 people died in the United States in 2005 after being infected with virulent drug-resistant bacteria that have spread rampantly through hospitals and nursing homes, according to the most thorough study of the disease’s prevalence ever conducted.

The government study, which is being published Wednesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests that such infections may be twice as common as previously thought, according to its lead author, Dr. R. Monina Klevens.

If the mortality estimates are correct, the number of deaths associated with the germ, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, would exceed those attributed to H.I.V.-AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, emphysema or homicide each year.

By extrapolating data collected in nine places, the researchers estimated that 94,360 patients developed an invasive infection from the pathogen in 2005 and that nearly one of every five, or 18,650 of them, died. The study points out that it is not always possible to determine whether a death is caused by MRSA or merely accelerated by it.

I have seen a couple of scary documentaries about how few silver bullets we actually have left in the fight against bacterial infections.. Ever since penicillin was discovered we have had an age where we have had control, that control is running out with only a few last defence biotics working on the superbugs.

[dizbuster]

Scary stuff indeed !

Sod's law says that the day someone finds a cure for HIV/AIDS will be the day they also announce some new superbug that we can't stop !

[MrDK]

I assume that is what commonly is referred to as "Staff Infection"

[LivinLOS]

MRSE is a staff infection on steriods..

MRSA is pretty virulent.. Worse to treat tho is VRSA (vancomycin resistant etc) as Vancomycin is the next line of defence and staff has quickly become immune to that.. They tend to keep you in hospital for Vanc treatment as they have to be super sure it has been defeated 100% so that they dont breed more immunity.

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS;

MRSE is a staff infection on steriods..

MRSA is pretty virulent.. Worse to treat tho is VRSA (vancomycin resistant etc) as Vancomycin is the next line of defence and staff has quickly become immune to that.. They tend to keep you in hospital for Vanc treatment as they have to be super sure it has been defeated 100% so that they dont breed more immunity.

What are the symptoms?

[LivinLOS]

Same as any bacterial infection, it depends what it attacks, often its in wounds or surgery sites.. Mine got into bone marrow through a external brace (pin setup) on my lower leg.. Then it was a wound site that wouldnt heal, obvious infected wound and fluid discharge. Often people get it internally (and hard to spot) after surgery. Also heard of it attacking lungs like a plurasy (spelling ??) type thing. Basically any way you can have a bacterial infection this can also attack but is really hard to treat. I was on 4000 mg of antibiotics a day for months. Its near endemic in UK hospitals.

Actually I had a (possible) reprise of it a year or so back very briefly and its worrying me having the new metal work in the shoulder last week.. just taking masses of Vit C and other subs.

[JayBee]

Scary stuff. For internal assistance, you might try taking a bit of colloidal silver. Not as strong as the heavy antibiotics, but it couldn't hurt either. I did it find effective in one particular case where antibiotics were not working for me.
For a wound, golden seal is the best antibiotic, IMHO. It will disinfect completely, and will cause surface wounds to close up in a matter of hours.

[LivinLOS]

Actually at a period when It was really desperate a VERY odd encounter with a homoeopathic doc who I had no faith in, totally turned everything around..

And yes theres a body of evidence to say colloidal silver is actually a worthwhile treatment.. Didnt we talk that one before ?? I would be taking it now if I had the ability to make it here under the 'cant hurt' category.

Never heard of golden seal..

[brit]

Yeah there was a study a few years back where they found garlic to be one of the best defenses against MRSA so natural treatments are worth it.

Actually I think we could cut infection rates worldwide if govs focused more on preventative treatment rather than magic bullet cures for everything. Like with HIV also no-one is coming up with a cure any time soon but there's a hell of a lot of things we know about that really cut down the spread of not only that but every other virus/infection.

[faultytowers]

MRSA is one of the "big" problems in hospitals now , it is becoming routine in most major hospitals. Where I work , due to "transplants" etc , our patients are some of the most vulnerable to infections.

Maybe I'm just "old school" , but in my view , there are a lot of contributing factors that have brought about this and other "nasty" infections (VRSA , C.Diff (clostridium difficile) etc).

Staphylococcus aureus is often found on the skin and nose of healthy people (about 3 in 10 people are carriers) , it is usually harmless to normal healthy people. Over the years it has developed resistance to antibiotics (originally Methicillin but now to many others). While harmless to most people it can have serious consequences to those already weakened by sickness/surgery etc.

Why has it become such a big "high profile" problem ????

From my personal point of view , overuse of antibiotics has been a major contributing factor. People are too quick to take them for minor problems that would usually resolve naturally given time. Doctors were prescribing them as a "quick solution" to speed up through-put at surgeries and also because patients "expected" to be given these "cure all" drugs.

Another area of concern has been the lack of training/enforcement of proper cleaning in many hospital wards. The "old matron" used to 'demand' the highest standards of cleanliness , would ensure that wards were spotless and that hand washing was done between any patient contact.
Now , due to staff shortages and heavy workloads , a lot of these practices have slipped. 'Contract' cleaners (on minimum wage) do their job but have no "pride" in their work and are not properly trained in correct methods of cleaning.

Budget constraints mean that patient "turn over" is far faster , and "hot bedding" is now routine. We have recently had to keep patients in the Operating Theatre until a patient can be moved out of ITU and the 'bed space' cleaned.

Also "open" visiting is now regarded as a "right" , and instead of a couple of relatives visiting for perhaps an hour , we have a constant stream of people (many who "could" have Staph. ) coming in and out of wards/ITU and increasing the risk of infection/transfer of bugs due to contact with patients/work surfaces etc.

Whether the above reasons are the "real" cause of the spread/increase of infections may not be true but from my personal opinion they are at least major contributing factors.

Edit: It is now 'routine' for staff to wear "surgical" gloves when working with patients , sounds a great idea , but in practice it can cause more risk of infection/transfer than not wearing them.

Previously staff (including doctors) would wash their hands immediatley after any contact with a patient , now , because they are less at risk (from HIV , Hepatatis etc) they will touch work surfaces/monitors etc while still wearing 'possibly' infected gloves.

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by faultytowers;

Whether the above reasons are the "real" cause of the spread/increase of infections may not be true but from my personal opinion they are at least major contributing factors.

There is no question in m mind that you are correct on all counts, and especially the matter of overuse of antibiotics, which is a real shame. Because really virulent bacteria which attack the internal organs of the body, especially the lungs, are very difficult to treat effectively with any other treatment.

However, IMHO, treating wounds by bathing them with an infusion of golden seal herb and/or myrrh powder is a more practical and superior treatment for any sort of wound where the flesh is broken, cut open, or punctured. If the wound is superficial, golden seal is more than adequate. For deep wounds, a combination of the two is best because myrrh penetrates the tissues inside the wound more deeply than golden seal by itself. Myrrh is also very good for any kind of wound or sore inside the mouth.

In my own experience, when I discovered how superior the antibiotic and healing powers of these herbs were, I was astounded that the medical profession has no interest in using them, whatsoever. They were widely used in the US prior to the discovery of penicillin. The main reason is that there is simply no profit on them to be made by the drug companies, who influence the way medicine is practiced to a great degree. Secondarily, it is just a whole lot easier to hand someone a bottle of pills, than it is to prepare an infusion(commonly called a tea), and bathe a person's wounds. That sort of treatment requires time and attention, and can be a little messy, since golden seal is also a yellow dye. It might discolor the patient's sheets or gown, and Lord knows, it would be easier if he died than to have to deal with stained sheets/apparel!

BTW, the origin of using golden seal medicinally is the Indian tribes of North America. Golden seal is a weed with a bright yellow blossom that grows throughout most of the US and parts of Canada. The Indians also used it to dye cloth yellow. It is only the powdered root, which is of medicinal value. Although it is beneficial to the digestive system to take it internally, the antibiotic/antiviral properties do not seemed to be adequately absorbed into the blood stream to be of use as as a substitute for systemic antibiotics. Also, the fact that it is a diuretic, makes it unsuitable for long-term internal consumption.

[keith67]

Looks like only now are the NHS in the U.K taking this seriously, yesterday i took my mother to hospital for a pre-op examination included in this they took swabs from inside her ears, mouth, armpit and groin area, when she asked what it was for they said it was a new practice to try and eliminate MRSA, although the nurse did also say that most NHS trusts were not doing enough to try and stop the spread of this bacteria..

[Same Same]

A couple of years ago, my mum went into hospital here in Dublin with pnuemonia (on top of her existing emphysema) and the first thing she was told - while she waited on a gurney in A&E for a bed to become available - was that she'd be better off at home.

This was, of course, off-the-record. But the gist of it was that unless you were in hospital for a medical procedure, because of the chances of getting an MRSA infection, it was much safer to get medicine from your doctor and recuperate at home.

[LivinLOS]

I always try to get doctor from my medicine

[Same Same]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

I always try to get doctor from my medicine

Get something for that twitchy eye while you're at it. 55555