Posted on 03/04/2007 6:18:03 AM PST by Dysart
MRSA is 100 times the threat "bird doo flu" is.
Oh yeah, at least. And without any of the hype or even common knowledge. Go figure.
Even with high dosage antibiotics she was unable to overcome the infection and her leg had to be amputated just below the knee in early 2006. Her life and her health have not been the same since.
The hospital knew they had a problem and still allowed surgeries to be performed. You've got to wonder why.
Anyone know any strategies to reduce the risk to these infections?
Obviously, the first would be to avoid surgery unless absolutely necessary.
My sister had back surgery two weeks ago. She began to feel lousy immediately after the surgery and is now back in the hospital for treatment for a staph infection. Yesterday, she had another surgery to mop up the infection, must remain in the hospital for another week, and upon discharge, she'll be hooked up to an IV antibiotic drip, round the clock, for six weeks. Yikes!
So, who is developing the vaccine?
Did any legal action result from this unfortunate incident?
BUMP
"How to reduce your risk of getting an infection in a hospital:"
"Ask hospital staff to clean their hands before treating you.
Ask that the diaphragm of the stethoscope be wiped with alcohol before use.
If you need a central line catheter, ask your doctor about one that is antibiotic-impregnated or silver-chlorhexidine coated to reduce infections.
If you need surgery, choose a surgeon with a low infection rate. Surgeons know their rate of infection for various procedures. If a surgeon refuses to tell you, consider choosing someone else.
Three to five days before surgery, shower daily with 4 percent chlorhexidine soap, available through pharmacies.
Ask your surgeon to have you tested for staphylococcus aureus at least a week before you are hospitalized.
Stop smoking well in advance of your surgery. Patients who smoke are three times as likely to develop a surgical site infection as nonsmokers.
On the day of surgery, remind your doctor that you may need an antibiotic one hour before the first incision.
Ask that you be kept warm during surgery. Patients who are kept warm resist infection better. Special blankets, hats, booties and warmed IV liquids can help.
Do not shave the surgical site. If hair must be removed, ask that clippers be used.
Ask that your surgeon limit the number of people in the operating room.
Ask your doctor about monitoring your glucose levels continuously during and after surgery, especially if you are having cardiac surgery. The stress of surgery often makes glucose levels spike erratically. When blood glucose levels are controlled to stay at 80-110 mg/unit, heart patients resist infection better.
Avoid a urinary tract catheter if possible. Ask for a diaper or bedpan instead.
If you must have an IV, make sure that it is inserted and removed under clean conditions and changed every three to four days. Alert hospital staff if any redness appears.
If you are planning to have a cesarean section take the same precautions as you would for any surgery. Women who have cesarean sections are 10 times more at risk for infection that those who give birth vaginally."
*ping*
Many years ago we had a beautiful young mother come in for heart surgery and within days, while still in the hospital, she was dead from a staph infection. I worked in the bacterology in the lab, we cultured everyone and everything that she had been in contact with and found nothing. Finally we cultured her and found she was the carrier. After that, we cultured everyone BEFORE their surgery to be on the safe side. That is scary stuff.
Pennsylvania, the first state to require public reporting, found that in 2005 an average of 1.2 per 1,000 patients got infections while hospitalized
So which is it? I can't believe Pennsylvania is 50 times better than the national average.
Thanks for the info. It could be a lifesaver to some people here.
These infections are only the tip of the iceberg. Medical errors kill similar numbers every year.
Any other industry that charges as much and still loses customers at these rates would have been shut down long ago.
You can understand why so many are advocates of national health care even though the results would be even worse.
August 2005 they had to remove her leg above the knee, she had an artificial knee. She was in the hospital one week and physical therapy for 3 weeks. She came home with a bed sore the size of a pork chop. The doctor said I should put her in long term care because she was going to die, I brought her home. They sent her home with MRSA and never told me. It took months to appear to heal. Her stump drained and healed, swelled up and drained thru weak areas of the scar. This went on until Dec. 2006 when I had to take her to have an 'abscess' lanced, out patient of course. They had her come to the 'wound center' every Wednesday. All this time she was in severe pain. Finally the doctor at the wound center had her have a bone scan, then an MRI. She had more incisions made on her stump Feb. 5th, she was sent home with an order from Home Health to administer Vancomycin every 48 hours for 6 to ??? weeks. I connect it. Only good thing so far is that the pain finally stopped a week ago.
I truly believe that they never tried to get rid of the infection while she was in the hospital because they did not want to report it.
It's a shocking article! Everyone should print it out and make copies for friends and family.
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