INFECTIONS ON THE RISE AT SOME CITY HOSPITALS

New York Post ^ | January 23, 2005 | SAM SMITH

[nickcarraway]

Your chances of contracting a nasty, antibiotic-resistant — and sometimes fatal — infection is higher at some area hospitals than others.

MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, thrives in hospitals, where it builds up immunity to antibiotics and feeds on immuno-compromised patients, causing anything from reddening of the skin to death.

[Osage Orange]

Staph is everywhere already. The strains that are resistant to anti-biotics have developed by the over-use of anti-biotics.

It's not as clear-cut as that. Yes, that IS a factor. Although the problem is multi-factorial. One of the problems has been non-compliance by patients. Another factor has been that we can keep people alive longer....maybe not healthier, but longer. That group is prone to chronic infections.

Also the chronically ill...COPD, Stroke pts., neuro pts., DM, CHF patients...can be prone to infections...many of them are "colonized" with resistant bugs.

Anyway, I'm not too quick to place blame here....there's plenty of places to point fingers.

FWIW-

[Osage Orange]

I'm very surprised that you didn't mention the fact that patient non-compliance is a large factor in the evolution of "super bugs".

FWIW-

[Osage Orange]

Do you have any children?

[mewzilla]

So is health care provider non-compliance. I've had to remind a few nurses and docs to wash their hands before touching me and/or a loved one.

And providers: lose the long fingernails. How the heck you think you can clean those claws thoroughly is beyond me.

[raybbr]

You're right about all the other reasons. I just posted some quick links because clearly the article, which I read, was written to scare people. Knowing that staph is all around and can be treated was never mentioned in the article. I thought that it would be wise to point out that infections are possible to anyone.

Believe me, my wife is an infection fearing nurse. We have jars of Purell all over the house. Hygene is a major issue with her.

[Cold Heart]

The article states that the rise of anti-biotic resistant strains in some hospitals and not others indicates it is a specific hospital problem.

Anti-biotic resistant strains of bacteria occur because of a number of factors. Cases of over prescibing and excessive use in animal husbandry have been factors but are gaining some change.

One other big factor in anti-biotic resistance is patients neglecting to continue to take the full course of anti-biotics prescribed, stopping when they feel better. A companion cause not often mentioned is animals not receiving a full prescription doses. In both cases, bacteria not killed are those with a genetic proclivity to be already resistant. The process acts the same as if one were trying to breed the "best" of a crop by replanting or breeding only the offspring of those with a desired trait.

The specific hospitals having the problems need their entire protocols investigated. Also investigate the patients. Where are the patients coming from, what is their medical history.

[az wildkitten]

Legal or Illegal, society wants to cure the nursing shortage by importing less skilled, educated, competent people. It is thought to be better to pay transportation, housing and "training" for these imports than to pay experienced nurses what they should get paid. So we leave the "profession" to be cashiers, real estate agents, vet techs. The difference in wages between a new grad and a nurse with twenty years experience is minimal.

[Osage Orange]

You are correct. Hand-washing is THE single most important preventative function that bedside care-giver's can do to stop nosocomial ( hospital acquired..) infections.

Funny thing, it's been my experience that THE worst offenders are MD's, DO's....but that is only anecdotal. (vbg)

FRegards,

[dogbyte12]

I heard that Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge is profoundly infected with this. Just second hand info though.

The big issue seems to be size of facility. It is better to have 10 100 bed facilities, than 1 facility with 1,000 beds. You can just shut down 10% of your beds in one case, but in the other, you pretend you don't have a problem.

[SweetCaroline]

Grape Seed Extract is an all natural antibiotic. Three drops mixed with water in a little spay bottle is all you need. I use it on wounds, sore throats, even in the kitchen and bathrooms. It is a true wonder!

[lucysmom]

>Legal or Illegal, society wants to cure the nursing shortage by importing less skilled, educated, competent people.

In some cases, its just the opposite. We get lots of nurses from the Philippines who've been trained as doctors.

[SunnySide]

It isn't just that problem either. From my own observation after staying over night at a hospital which is nearly brand new doing my family shift caring for a relative, noticed that a long plastic sucking tube to clear the patients air way was repeatedly put back on it's hanger without being sterilized(washed, rinsed out). It was left hanging midst the air born bacteria with the bloody mucous inside of it. We complained the hospital staff and nothing was ever done! That's why the entire family took turns staying with the relative to insure "round the clock" proper hygenically supervised care and comfort. Then in the same night I even experienced an elderly over worked groggy nurse come into the room in the middle of the night with her clipboard info asking me what time the patient had come out of surgery. My jaw dropped as I told her that my relative NEVER was in for surgery. Was in for neumonia(sp?)

[kstewskis]

Hand-washing is THE single most important preventative function that bedside care-giver's can do to stop nosocomial ( hospital acquired..) infections.

I don't understand why hospitals don't keep bottles of hand sanitizers stationed at each room for the staff to use, prior and after seeing a patient? (Perhaps some already do?)

I remember when "universal precautions" became well known and practiced, beginning in the 80's. What's a "squirt between your hands" between rooms? It's not that big a deal. Yet many hospital workers (as AZ WK mentioned) are foreign trained, and have poor hygiene habits.

One could only guess the cost savings in unnecessary illnesses it would provide. Instead, some careless hopsital workers end up contributing to the higher cost of causing uneccessary infection.

[douglas1]

A friend of my son, just had his mom die from a staph infection, it lingered on for a long time, she was so sick and was in a lot of pain,

[nickcarraway]

ping

[nickcarraway]

ping

[DannyTN]

There is a an overuse of anti-biotics all around. I dissagree. I doubt the cattle industry has anything to do with this. They are probably using a different kind of antibiotic and there is no reason to believe this bacteria grows in the cattle or is spread to humans through the meat. What's more, I don't believe overuse of anti-biotics in humans is the main culprit either. I believe that the following are bigger culprits than over use of anti-biotics:

1. People on antibiotics who don't take the medication as prescribed or stop too soon,
2. Insufficient follow up by doctors to verify that the infection is cleared,
3. The failure to culture the germs (which used to be routine) to verify which antibiotics are effective against them.
4. An awkward expensive healthcare system that takes too long to see a doctor and get proper medication, which allows infections to become more severe and spread to others.
5. Poor hygiene in hospitals, (Itsmyboy's point) but it's more than just foriegners, it's poor controls in general, compounded by overworked, overregulated, and overthreatened nurses.
6. The increase in compromised immune systems. We can thank this one on the homosexuals as well as our society's tolerance of deviant sexual behavior.

[A. Pole]

I dissagree. I doubt the cattle industry has anything to do with this.

Of course, the industry so long as it is profit oriented, simply cannot do wrong. Free market is like a infallible church where the businessmen are saints.

[A. Pole]

They are probably using a different kind of antibiotic

I am sorry, we do NOT have "different kind of antibiotic" or many of them. This is the problem.