Deadly Hospital Germ Is Spreading in U.S.

WashingtonPost.com ^ | December 2nd, 2005 | Rob Stein

[Termite_Commander]

A new, more dangerous strain of a germ that has long caused diarrhea in hospital patients is now widespread in the United States, causing severe, sometimes deadly outbreaks around the country, researchers reported yesterday.

Strains of the germ have been detected among people who have not been in a hospital, raising alarm that the infection may be emerging more widely and posing a broader public health threat, the researchers said.While the infection does not pose a public health emergency, doctors and patients need to be aware of the risk so cases can be identified and treated quickly, and measures can be taken to limit its spread, experts said. They do not yet have good estimates for how many people have been infected.

The germ may have emerged in part from the overuse of antibiotics, the experts added, and its emergence provides another reason to use antibiotics as judiciously as possible.

"We are very concerned about this," said L. Clifford McDonald...

[Termite_Commander]

Make what you may of this article; I do agree that antibiotics are over prescribed nowadays.

As soon as you walk into the doctor's office, they're shoving drugs on you. As they say, "use antibiotics as judiciously as possible."

[Obadiah]

AHHHHHHHH....the bird flu....the deadly hospital virus....global warming...the asteroid...AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

We're all gonna die!!

[bkepley]

As soon as you walk into the doctor's office, they're shoving drugs on you.

Some patients also seem to demand them for every little sniffle whether they'll actually help or not.

[Termite_Commander]

Thanks for that insightful post.

[VA_Gentleman]

Deadly outbreaks of diarrhea? Holy Crap.

[SMARTY]

Gee... the Canadian health care system is flawed....??? I can't believe it!

[Wheens]

AHHHHHHHH....the bird flu....the deadly hospital virus....global warming...the asteroid...AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! We're all gonna die!! Joke if you like, but my wife nearly died from cdif. Spent 10 days in intensive care, 3 wks in hospital. Had to have her colon removed. Preinsurance bill...in excess of $500K.

[daku]

I have an eerily similar story pertaining to my Mother

this is no joke

best wishes to your Mrs.

[DCBryan1]

Im still waiting for the obligatory posting of Helen Thomas...a microbe defined.

[11Bush]

Not a joking matter, cdif will drop you in place. It killed my father-in-law after he went in the hospital for simple hip surgery.

[duckman]

'Joke if you like, but my wife nearly died from cdif.'

My sister passed away from C-Diff in March. She went in to have a kidney stone removed and caught the virus in the hospital. Valley Hospital in Ridgewood NJ.

[ocr1]

I was given clindamycin for a jaw infection. It has taken me 4 months to get my stomach back to a some what normal state. I give thanks I didn't develop the c. diff.

[Andonius_99]

Diarrhea is not a disease, it's hereditary. That's right, I said hereditary...everyone knows it runs in your genes!

[EGPWS]

A new, more dangerous strain of a germ that has long caused diarrhea in hospital patients is now widespread in the United States, causing severe, sometimes deadly outbreaks around the country, researchers reported yesterday.

Finally, I can be alleviated from the concerns of heart surgery, diabetes, ingrown toe nails, Gingivitis, broken bones, fate given calamities and focus on more concerning issues as this.

[EGPWS]

We're all gonna die!!

When?

[chalkfarmer]

You know I read about this last year. I can see how it can develop in a hospital. When a patient has surgery, they pump them full of antibiotics for obvious reasons. Very troubling issue.

[Sweetjustusnow]

Not to mention the antibiotics routinely put in to cattle feed at large feed lot operations (and hormones).

Cows stomachs are not meant to digest large quantities of corn based feed. The feed causes inflammation in the gut (bloat), so they combat the inflammation with antibiotics.

A good reason to buy your beef from a local small rancher that feeds grass and hay. (A little grain to finish them doesn't hurt them and makes the meat more tender, but not in the quantities that large operations feed).

Just an FYI :)

Concerning the hospitals, recently it was discovered that the most germ laden item in a hospital setting was the remote control for the T.V. So if your doing a stint in hospital don't touch it! Put on gloves and clean it with alcohol first.

[dawn53]

My doctor contracted it (I assume from seeing patients in the hospital.) She's young and healthy but was one very sick lady for a very long time after contracting the infection.

[GOP_1900AD]

Oh so that's my problem .... gotta run! :-)

[= Gratuitous Friday humor ...]

[Dallas59]

Here ya go...One causes diarrhea and the other is fatal....