Topic : 04/01 The Superbug

Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) is fairly common in hospitals now and a small percentage (about 8% I believe) of hospital workers are colonized with it.  There are other variants of resistant bacteria such as Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and Vancomycin Resistant Staph Aureus (VRSA). Resistance is an inevitable result of developing and using antibiotics. 

It's always easier to blame somebody instead of dealing with your own grief.

Hi,

I have had MRSA twice since I had a tummy tuck 2 years ago.  I still have swelling and pain in my stomach.  It feels like it burns on the inside all of the time.  I have pretty much been "sitting" for almost 2 years due to the swelling and I have had a PIC line in twice for 5  to 6 weeks at a time for the medication.  I don't know what I would have done without the great health insurance I have.  I still take pain pills and am not sure why I still have the swelling in the stomach area and the pain?  Anybody have any ideas of why?  I got the first MRSA infection when I still had the drainage tube in and the second one when  I developed a seroma and the hospital put a needle in to drain the fluid.  I had 105 degree temp and have some memory loss.

Thanks

Kathy Fox

Bug Doctor Phil Super The. What in tarnation is going on with your show? I have never hear of Superbug--

at all. Doctor Phil donot forget to set your clocks forward on Saturday March 08th, 2008 before you go to----

bed at night and also tell your Robin and your two sons and one wife Erica McGraw aswell. See you on----

Friday March 07th, 2008. (Spring Forward-Fall-Back in November of 2008. And Erica, Jay, Jordan.) Sincer--

ley Your. Russell Vlaanderen.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The term "Superbug" is a new media scare tactic for Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA).   MRSA is a type of bacteria that is resistant to Methicillin and other derivatives of penicillin due to formations of genetic resistance (mutations). 

MRSA has been around since 1961, and we're starting to see bacteria forming resistance to different antibiotics (Vancomycin Intermediate/ or Resistant Staph Aureus).  Hospitals are trying to control this, but even with the most stringent Infection Control, it can still be transmitted.

I cannot begin to tell you the number of physicians and residents who have entered isolation rooms where MRSA patients are under droplet isolation or contact isolation,,work on the patient, then come out and say, "what kind of isolation is he under?".  It is clearly posted on the patient's door!

Dietary workers tend to do the same, as well as CNAs.  Imagine this scenario; dietary takes a tray of food into the patient, without properly gowning, masking, gloving and handwashing, then proceeds to touch every other patient's trays/dishes, eating utensils, etc. 

Worse yet, those same infected trays go back to the cafeteria and into the hands of workers or patients.

And, now there is a MRSA necrotizing pneumonia that eats the lung tissue of its victims, and is truly anti-biotic resistant.  You die from it within 36-72 hrs.  You all know how long it takes healthcare to diagnose such a disease,,,too long.

Given those facts, imagine how quickly it could wipe out a hospital full of already immunosuppressed patients were workers do not properly observe sanitary precautions to break the chain of infection.