Posted on 10/16/2007 12:35:10 PM PDT by Gopher Broke
Staph Infection Kills Virginia Student, Prompts Closing of 21 Schools Tuesday , October 16, 2007
BEDFORD, Va. — A high school student has died as the result of a treatment-resistant staph infection, prompting Virginia officials to shut down 21 schools to keep the illness from spreading.
Ashton Bonds, 17, a senior at Staunton River High School in Bedford, Va., died Monday after being hospitalized for a week with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, his mother said.
"I want people to know how sick it made my son," Veronica Bonds said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Ashton was septic...
Prayers for his family.
Staph has been adapting and proving to be a formidable adversary. Some hospitals are “stuck” with it. It’s been a big problem in the NFL and other locker rooms. I’m surprised this is the first time we’re seeing this kind of reaction.
Nope, not Howard! Who is Howard?
Howard Hughes
Grin. Nah. Not Howard Hughs. But I work in a prison ministry. If 1% have meth resistant staph in the general population it’s probably 10% or more in the prisons. I think I’m almost guaranteed to come in contact with it, as are nurses and prison guards. It’s been identified in the jail there so it’s without a doubt at the location. I think it’s worth a few washings and a little common sense to keep it away from my children.
Just a coincidence that Virginia has an illegal immigrant problem.
All of us in the Healthcare industry, including local hospitals and nursing homes are being told that we probably ALL have it colonized on our skin and in our nasal passages.
Hibiclens is what is recommended to remove it from the skin.
bttt
It was very scary and I'm still a little worried about them being colonized. I think they got it when they had their noses cauterized in the hospital.
I’ll ask what they have in the bathroom as we leave the prison but I think it’s hibiclens; it’s pink. I’ll get some for home too.
what about the nasal passages?
Yes, hibiclens is what we used to recommend but the studies aren’t there for it anymore. The latest recommendation which “may” help, not a sure thing, is showering w/ phisohex for 3 to 5 days plus applying bactroban to the nostrils twice daily for the same period of time.
You can get Hibiclens at any drugstore, like CVS, and a topical antibiotic cream for the nostrils is what is recommended.
Also, oddly, the less history you have of using antibiotics in the past, the stronger your own defenses are to fight MRSA, which is why so may elderly and those with compromised immunity have such virulent cases.
Being super clean, washing bed linens and knowing the the pus and drainage from a wound is extremely infectious (so keep areas covered and change bandages frequently)
Yes, it is scary. However, MRSA skin infections tend to burn out after about a year. Currently, no studies show a definitive “eradication” method to get rid of MRSA. Here’s some recommendations gathered from the CDC at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/ar/CAMRSA_ExpMtgStrategies.pdf)
PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SKIN BOILS and INFECTIONS:
-Wounds that are draining should be kept covered with clean, dry bandages. If this is not possible at all times, the patient should not participate in activities involving skin-to-skin contact with other individuals (such as athletics) until the wound is healed.
-Keep hands clean by regularly washing with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand gel (if the hands are not visibly soiled). The hands should be cleaned immediately after touching the skin or any item that has come in direct contact with a draining wound.
-Maintain good general hygiene with regular bathing and continue when healed.
-Avoid sharing personal items that may become contaminated with wound drainage. (E.G. towels, clothing, bedding, bar soap, razors, or athletic equipment that touches the skin.)
-Launder materials that come into contact with wound drainage after each use and dry thoroughly.
-Clean equipment and other environmental surfaces with which multiple individuals have bare skin contact with an over-the-counter cleaner that specifies S. aureus and is suitable for the type of surface being cleaned. (CDC recommendations:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/ar/CAMRSA_ExpMtgStrategies.pdf)
And persons with AIDS/HIV. NYC had an epidemic in the queer community awhile back. Posted on FR, iirc.
I also think my not using antibiotics much in my life is why my two lesions healed as fast as they did or at least didn’t get larger and spread....however, that is totally anecdotal.
Well, we haven’t had any skin infections and I hope we don’t. They had it in their sinuses and they were both cultured and had CT scans and now their sinuses are clear. I just hope we can keep it that way. I am very careful now about all cuts, etc. Thanks for the info.
Not to be too gross here, but given the nasal passage colonization, if you work in a jail or a hospital or so forth, picking the nose would probably be a really bad idea. Tissues only and they go in the trash.
Not to be too gross here, but given the nasal passage colonization, if you work in a jail or a hospital or so forth, picking the nose would probably be a really bad idea. Tissues only and they go in the trash.
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