Your own skin can be the source of an MRSA infection: how to prevent this

[pnwmom]

http://www.eontarionow.com/health/2007/11/04/your-skin-could-be-the-souce-of-mrsa/

New York - Did you know your own skin could be the source of a deadly infection that could kill you? Currently, 271 people a day - the equivalent of one airline crash - will die from healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. In many cases, these HAIs are a result of naturally-occurring bacteria on the skin that entered the bloodstream during a medical procedure and became a life-threatening infection.

HAIs will kill approximately 99,000 people this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is more yearly deaths than AIDS, breast cancer, and auto accidents combined. In fact, one in 17 patients will be diagnosed with an HAI every day even though more than one-third of these infections are preventable.

Launched this week, Skin Is The Source is a health education campaign led by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) that provides information and prevention tips about HAIs. The initiative is raising awareness that naturally-occurring bacteria on the skin - while typically harmless - can become deadly. When the skin surface has not been properly cleaned to remove these bacteria, they can be pushed beneath the skin as a result of a surgery or skin puncture (IV, catheter, etc.) and enter the body leading to a potential HAI.

(More at link above.)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC STEPS TO TAKE TO AVOID MRSA INFECTION, GO TO:

http://www.skinisthesource.org/infection-prevention-tips.html

Patients
Shower or bathe with antibacterial soap the night before and the morning of your surgery or procedure
Make sure your skin is properly cleaned with an antiseptic prior to surgery or procedure
Apply the skin prep solution using an applicator that avoids skin contact between the patient and healthcare professional
The skin prep solution should be one that remains active in the presence of blood, serum, and other protein-rich biomaterials to resist recontamination of the patient’s skin and offer persistent antibacterial activity for at least 48 hours
Observe handwashing and glove use of the healthcare professionals taking care of you. Don’t be afraid to ask them to wash or disinfect their hands again or to get a new set of gloves.

SNIP

(More info for parents (of patients) and for visitors at the link above.)

[rwheeler31]

1. Woops

I did not predict my injury.

[pnwmom]

3. Lots of people have scheduled medical procedures. This is for those situations.

I hope you didn't end up with an MRSA.

[Bitwit1234]

2. My son contracted a flesh eating bacteria

He has been in the hospital since August 20 and will be released Nov 16th. Before he was transferred to the VA hospital in Minneapolis, we talked to his doctor. And the doctor told us, this type of bacteria can be contacted by anybody thru the skin. He said people with stomach trouble were more susceptible. And if you are diabetic it is hard to get rid of because the diabetes and the fever generated by the virus feed on each other. He said that this bacteria was UNDER the skin and erupted spontaneously and boy this scared the hell out of me. Which means anybody at any time can get this. The key is....if you get an infection that moves rapidly and you have pain and a fever with it, get to the doctor right away. My son got to the hospital just in time. Five or six more hours and it would have spread too far.

With all these super bugs out there...DO NOT HESITATE GET TO THE DOCTOR.

[pnwmom]

4. Good advice, Bitwit. I know someone who almost lost an arm

because of a drug resistant infection that entered her body through a hangnail.

I hope your son has made a good recovery. What a nightmare.

[DemBones DemBones]

14. My husband knows someone who's had the flesh-eating bacteria

though I don't recall the details since it's been some time since he told me about it. It was a bad case, that much I do remember.

The NIH and CDC need to jump on this like they did on AIDS and polio. I hope they're getting adequate funding but doubt they are. Priorities are so screwed up in today's America.

[DemBones DemBones]

13. That is a long hospital stay! Thank God he's recovered.

That's frightening that it's more common in people with stomach troubles and diabetics. I knew diabetics are very prone to infection, but stomach troubles?

Did they say what type of stomach problems it's associated with?

[soothsayer]

5. paging doctor Lister

[DeSwiss]

6. I wonder what ever happened.....

....to the research being done using garlic to combat MRSA?

Garlic 'beats hospital superbug'

Wednesday, 24 December, 2003, 01:09 GMT


Allicin occurs naturally in garlic

The ingredient which gives garlic its distinctive smell is the latest weapon in the battle to beat the hospital "superbug" MRSA. University of East London researchers found allicin treated even the most antibiotic-resistant strains of the infection.

MRSA (Methecillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) causes an estimated 2,000 deaths in UK hospitals each year. Researchers are now testing allicin products in a six-month study.

Dr Ron Cutler and his team discovered the effectiveness of allicin in laboratory tests five years ago. They found it can cure MRSA within weeks. It is even effective against the newer strains which cannot be treated by the "last line of defence" antibiotics Vancomycin and Glycopeptides.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3344325.stm

[lonestarnot]

9. I'm safe then. Been wearing this thing around my neck for 7 years now.

I shake a little off into every meal. mmmmm garlic and cheerios, yeya baby mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[upi402]

7. I figure anti-bacterial soap breeds superbugs

But all I see in stores is anti-bacterial liquid soap.

[pnwmom]

8. They're not recommending routine use of anti-bacterial soap, just use

before a medical procedure.

But I've noticed the same thing -- it's hard to find soap and cleaning products that are NOT billed as anti-bacterial, even though they aren't recommended routinely because of the risk of developing more resistant bacteria.

[DemBones DemBones]

12. Ivory is not anti-bacterial and I hope they never change it.

At home, we use Ivory soap. Out in public, we use anti-bacterial sanitizers, which is recommended by

http://www.preventinfection.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home4

a site I found from the first link. It deals with ordinary prevention of infections rather than things to do if you're going to have surgery.

[pnwmom]

18. Those sanitizers work differently -- they kill with alcohol, I believe.

So there isn't the concern about the bacteria becoming resistant.

We use Ivory, too. What do you use for counters?

[upi402]

22. I tried 7th Gen (?) or Planet, but now just Chlorox wipes

Yep, I realized the post talked about pre-op, but with all the multi resistand bugs it creeps me out to see barbells-for-bugs soap in hospitals too. Like the cops having a handgun swap meet or something.

[alittlelark]

10. For the past 2-3 years I thought anti-bacterial soap

was one of the main culprits. The weak staph are killed, and the strong survive to multiply.

Haven't used the stuff for years. A good hand cleaning w/ regular soap was the best defense (what I gleaned).

[pnwmom]

19. You're right -- they recommend that people not use

anti-bacterial soaps routinely -- so that when we do need them (prior to surgery or in other circumstances), they have a better chance of working.

[DemBones DemBones]

11. Good source, thanks. The poster who said "Woops"

"I didn't predict my injury" apparently thinks HAIs like MRSA are a laughing matter.

Nobody can predict an injury but everybody can try to keep their skin clean so that if they are injured their risk of infection will be less.

The link you gave about precautions before surgery had a link to:

http://www.preventinfection.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home4

which explains how to wash your hands properly (most people don't know how), use alcohol wipes or hand sanitizers, and otherwise keep your hands as clean as possible.

It also cautions about shaking hands with other people. Shaking hands is a great way to contract any number of infections. Don't you love shaking hands with someone who has just been using that hand to cover their mouth to cough, or to blow their nose? :puke:

It's a custom we need to do away with, I think, now that MRSA infections are widespread. It's bad enough to get a viral infection from a handshake, but MRSA is more likely to kill than most viral infections. It's entirely possible to greet someone warmly without shaking hands.

[uppityperson]

16. I started singing Twinkle Twinkle little star when handwashing.

[DemBones DemBones]

17. That's got to make you smile, too.

Good deal all around. :-)

[pnwmom]

20. Maybe we should switch to head bows, which I often see here in the NW,

with many Asian-Americans.

[uppityperson]

15. Wash your hands, but realize that "271 people a day" are NOT all MRSA

Bladder/kidney infections from catheters are a big one. Also don't forget those elderly or infirm in nursing homes that are not particularly vigilant about health and/or sanitation (I've worked in ones from both ends of the extremes).

People do not wash their hands enough OR at the proper times. Peeing and wiping doesn't contaminate your hands, but touching the door handle and water faucet handles do. So does touching money, stair banisters, things like that.

[emilyg]

21. Good points.

[everydayis911]

23. Thank God

We here in America have socialized medicine. Oh wait.....
I like the garlic thing but like marijuana the pharmaceuticals don't like others taking control of their own bodies. Don't do this at home. I have foot problems and they itch and no over the counter shit works. I talked to someone I used to work with and she was from Mexico. She told me use vinegar and you know what it works. My brother had the same problem and he went to a doctor and his prescription was basically dried vineger only he had to pay probably $6.00 and I paid $1.39 for a gallon. It stings real bad at first but as the days go on it gets better.

[entanglement]

24. A well-known DUer died of necrotizing fasciitis some years ago

I even remember his last post or two, in which he mentioned his hand was stiff and hurting so much he couldn't type :(