Hospital Superbug 'Out Of Control' As Child MRSA Cases Rise To 150

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 9-10-2006 | Beezy Marsh

[blam]

I had a doctor volunteer to me 2-3 weeks ago that this 'bug' is more likely to kill us all than terrorists or Bird Flu.

[finnman69]

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa.html

[Gay State Conservative]

This,I suspect,is what comes of patients failing to properly take antibiotics given to them and what comes of doctors who are willing to prescribe antibiotics to patients who don't need them just to shut the patients up.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

We've come a long way from the days when doctors first learned to wash their hands.

[mikeybaby]

I've heard knowledgeable people posit that one of the reasons for these strains is that doctors over-prescribe antibiotics for fear of being sued.
This, in time, strengthens these strains and makes them more resistant to antibiotics.
One more gift from the ABA.

[coloradan]

Gee, if only they had socialized medicine there, this wouldn't be a problem.

[Suzy Quzy]

For all of you who think National health Care is a good idea.....I saw a very decent man die needlessly in a London hospital that was a QUONSET HUT!! he saw the "sister" (nurse) maybe once a day and the doctor less than that!! Pitiful.

[blam]

You can get any antibiotics you want on the streets of any city in Mexico, I,ve done it and very cheaply too.

[Guenevere]

I can't imagine how desperate I'd be to buy antibiotics off the streets of Mexico?

Why would you do this?...and how can you trust what you're given?

[mikeybaby]

I don't doubt that.
I think one of the big problems with illegal immigration is these people bringing diseases that have already been eradicated in the US, and, as such are not being vaccinated against back into the Country.

[PGalt]

More here...
http://tahilla.typepad.com/mrsawatch/community_acquired_mrsa/

[blam]

Excellent (scary) articles, thanks.

[FlyVet]

Antibiotic-resistant strains of [name your your favorite pestilence]. Add in some war and government-induced "famine".

Those who worry and fret about overpopulation will be proven wrong, once again.

[Judith Anne]

I agree. The super-resistant TB is showing up in big US urban areas, too.

[sig226]

You can't vaccinate aganist MRSA. You can't do much of anything about it, except treat the symptoms. The bacterium is resistant to antibiotics.

It has been around this country for years. I remember seeing cases of it when I worked for a transport ambulance company in 1989. A few years later, it had spread to unsuspecting caregivers and MRSA cases had large signs over their beds to warn people to use gloves, gowns, and faceshields when they were treating a MRSA patient.

[Tench_Coxe]

This is going to get bad, I think. Think about it the next time you see some fellow walking out of the bathroom without washing his hands.

[EEDUDE]

"patients failing to properly take antibiotics given to them and what comes of doctors who are willing to prescribe antibiotics"

Something you don't hear much about is that in many third world countries, powerful antibiotics are available over the counter. You are not even required to see a doctor, you just go to your pharmacy and pick them up!

I suspect this has a lot to do with the development of "superbugs" as well.

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[raybbr]

This is going to get bad, I think. Think about it the next time you see some fellow walking out of the bathroom without washing his hands.

Most of the virus/bacteria exchange comes from mucus on the hands that then touch doorknobs. While somewhat repulsive, not washing your hands after you handle yourself is fairly germ free. Think about it. You are clean and there are no sources of bodily fluids other than urine which is sterile. You are actually much better off washing your hands after you leave the bathroom.