"Increasingly, the hospital is becoming a dangerous place to spend time. Even if you are there for surgery and all goes smoothly, a superbug could get you, with very serious, life-altering consequences - including possibly death.
Superbugs - bacteria strains resistant to antibiotics -- are on the rise.
According to Dr. Philip Tierno, Director of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology at the Langone Medical Centre at New York University, there are 2.5 million infections annually worldwide which result in about 100,000 needless deaths and cost billions of dollars in additional treatments. "
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What creates a Superbug?
"While a superbug may evolve naturally, most superbugs become resistant due to inappropriate usage of antibiotics. It is not uncommon for patients to stop their antibiotic treatment early once their symptoms are gone. Thinking they are no longer sick, these patients save the rest of their antibiotics for a later date. This has two potential problems.
Primarily, if the infection is not completely destroyed, a patient that stops their antibiotic schedule early has a good potential of creating a resistant strain. A small number of bacteria not killed by the antibiotic may have a slight natural immunity to the antibiotic. Given a few more days of treatment they would have died, but since the schedule was stopped short they are allowed to grow - creating a new strain of resistant bacteria.
The other problem is when patients inappropriately use antibiotics without consulting a medical professional. Perhaps a patient wakes up with a sore throat or nauseous stomach. Thinking they are clever or don't have time to visit the doctor, the patient takes a few leftover antibiotics and goes to work.
This tiny dose is not effective in clearing bacteria infections, and totally ineffective against viral infections. This inappropriate use does nothing more than select resistant strains of bacteria and cause further problems."
Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/science/genetics/articles/73974.aspx#ixzz12qzlVvZO
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So that is why they tell you to take all of your antibiotics.
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Today:
Shay had to go in for some surgery on her neck.
She was supposed to go into a hospital farther down the freeway, but it is closed for surgery, as it has a staph infection there. Misty's, (my 15 year old poodle), late 'Dad' went in for surgery which was successful, but the patient died of a staph infection. Same thing happened to 'Hoss', Dan Blocker.
Several months ago, another hospital had already tried to fix Shay's neck from the back, with a cadaver bone, but the screws came loose, or didn't hold. That also damaged some nerves which gave her a constant pain in her arm.
Now, she has had it done at a closer hospital in Conroe, which is a good thing for Ray. Ray has been backwards and forwards to the hospital several times, as she has his number on the speed dial! They have slit her throat and gone in from the front, which must be very painful. But they have given her so much pain medication that she is sometimes delirious. During her "lucid…?" moments, she rips off the nicotine patch and has them wheel her outside for a smoke!!
So that is why I am writing about superbugs today.
2 comments:
In the US, the bugs are usually caused by human staff error. Dirty instrument, dirty hands, etc.
This is a very important topic, Thank you for covering it. Scares the heck out of me to hear things like MRSA is being found on most beaches now etc. I have had MRSA in my lungs a few times now and do have CF and I can tell you, it isn't a good thing! Using antibiotics correctly is critical and yet people take it so lightly. Even the docs. I won't take any of them until I get the sensitivities back but they always insist on broad spectrum until we know for sure. I don't fall for it. I don't like blind bullets. Takes 3 days to get those results and it is worth it IMO.
Good post :)
-Mike
97 Roadtrek 170P "Taj Ma Trek"
HTTP://WWW.VanTramps.Com
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