Flesh-eating germ kills woman in three days

MSNBC ^ | March 9, 2006 | AP

[SUSSA]

DUNN, N.C. - North Carolina health officials are investigating the death of a woman who died last week of a flesh-eating bacteria three days after accidentally jamming her hand in a wheelchair while working at a nursing home.

Nursing assistant Sharron Bishop, 44, died Feb. 27. A doctor said a rare flesh-eating bacteria may have entered her body through a thumb injury and she turned from healthy to fatally ill.

(snip)

Sharon Bishop complained on Feb. 24 about a swollen thumb. She had jammed it at work and worried that she had dislocated it. David Bishop took her to Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital, where doctors gave her pain medication and sent her home.

The swelling got worse. By the morning of Feb. 27, her arm was twice as large as normal and looked like it would burst, David Bishop said. Fluid leaked from her elbow and wrist. She complained of terrific pain.

(snip)

Dunn physician Abraham Oudeh diagnosed necrotizing fasciitis, an infection that destroys tissue.

Doctors at UNC Hospitals that evening tried to stop the spreading infection by amputating her arm at the clavicle and removing all the muscle and tissue around her left breast, torso and thigh in a futile effort to save her life.

[TomServo]

Thanks so much, Hope. The Doctors have practically pronounced me cured after almost 2 months. It's nice to be (almost) normal again. BTW - I was tellin' my Infectious Disease Control Doctor about some articles I had read about staph (on the rise, epedemic, etc) and he said that 30% of ER visits to my local hopspital were staph related.

The then said, (and I quote), "And everybody's worried about bird flu - HA!"..

[TomServo]

hopspital=hospital....fat fingers!

[Paul_Denton]

I am sorry for both your losses. Thats horrible. Horrible way to die.

[hope]

I'm freaking out about this stuff! I want to clean everything constantly. I won't let anyone come in with shoes on. The doctor that treated my daughter put her on some pretty strong antibiotics. He told us to give her collodial silver daily..I thought that was interesting.

Glad to hear your feeling better...I know what you went through.

[dljordan]

"The then said, (and I quote), "And everybody's worried about bird flu - HA!"."

IMHO the bird flu is being used for social manipulation.

[EBH]

Actually, one of the hypothesis is it is from over use of antibacterial cleaning agents. You know, the kills 99.9% of germs on surfaces. Well, that other 0.1% are these superbugs and are no longer held in check because everything around it is sterilized.

[Polyxene]

"A recent study found this bacteria on 25% of the pay phones in O'Hare airport."

Makes you want to carry around a package of antiseptic wipes, doesn't it? The Kroger where I shop has a big container of them at the door to wipe off the shopping cart handles.

[DarkSavant]

This is how my local priest died, only longer and much more excruciating. He looked like walking death for months.. His skin was like tissue paper, and would tear and the slightest strain.

[DarkSavant]

This is how my local priest died, only longer and much more excruciating. He looked like walking death for months.. His skin was like tissue paper, and would tear at the slightest strain.

[Grizzled Bear]

I'm freaking out about this stuff! I want to clean everything constantly.
_________________________________________________________
You don't want to weaken your immune system by lack of use. Your body needs to have some exposure to be able to fight back.

I suffered from a severe Staph infection in the leg as a small child (about 3 or 4 years old). I had to spend a lot of time in isolation. Like I said above; I really avoid hospitals. I really sympathize with your kids!

I'm glad you recovered, Tom.

[hope]

Yikes!

Apparently there are things that will kill it...like silver, olive oil and oil of oregano to name a few. I also thought people were more susceptible from over use of antibiotics.

[Centurion2000]

Apparently there are things that will kill it...like silver, olive oil and oil of oregano to name a few.

You mean olive oil will kill it if injested or if you apply it topically?

[nmh]

She could have contracted it anywhere. That's the problem. They don't know how people get it. It is a horrible death.

[nmh]

I am sorry to hear that. You must have been through hell and back as this happened. I hope you are healing from such a horrific event. It must have been terribly frustrating and sad.

Did they have any idea how she got it?

[nmh]

Yeah, more people die of staph infections than complications.

[EBH]

Thought you might find this interesting. It is a bit old, but it's the theory.

http://www.gazettearchives.com/health2002/_disc4/0000021b.htm

[nmh]

On my! How horrific!

I've witnessed cancer deaths and that is horrific but I don't know ... this seems even scarier and more frustrating because it seems there is nothing they can do and it's still new. I'm not trying to say that cancer is less horrible but they know the limits of what they can do. Here it seems to be a new disease and at more of a loss on how to try and stop it. There is still hope to arrest it.

[hope]

Both... It is called organic oil of oregano it comes in a tincture and you take 30 drops two to three times a day...This is not like the food grade you cook with, although that is healthy on its own. I'm told that topical and injested is a strong defense for staph. My daughters doctor also told us to give her collodial silver.

[nmh]

"He told us to give her colloidal silver daily."

That's surprising if it is a allopathic doctor. That's typically viewed as alternative medicine. I've read pros and cons for it. I pray it ends the problem.

[hope]

Thanks for the link. I will stick to the natural defenses. I honestly think its because both of them had a lot of inner ear infections when they were small and I should have did more research on antibiotic overkill back then.