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From working in nursing facilities both in Drama Therapy and as a Admissions Marketer, I am pretty familiar with MRSA - one of the so-called Superbugs seen in hospitals, nursing facilities and other similar institutions.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is commonly known as MRSA and is linked to 94,000 infections and nearly 19,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2005.
The newbie - Clostridium difficile - known as C.diff, is MRSA's nearest competitor in the bacterial infection stakes and is catching up fast. Almost 27,000 people in America died from a C.diff infection in 2005.
When we are in hospitals or nursing homes, we are more susceptible to these bacterial infections because we are ill ourselves, our immune systems are low and we are around other sick people. Even people in for a procedure like child birth are very much at risk.
Why are these bugs now superbugs? Doctors believe it is due to the bug learning to outwit antibiotics, overuse of antibiotics and multiple strains and mutations. Dirty hospitals and other health care settings certainly don't help either.
C.diff is found in feces and is transferred via touch, food, and myriad of cross contaminations.
Even though it is seen mostly in hospitals because of the amount of people with serious diarrheal illness, it is seen in people without, including young people and pregnant women.
How to avoid these superbugs? It can be difficult. Avoid sharing rooms with people with severe diarrheal illness and do not share a bathroom, towels or phones with them. Frequent hand washing is vital, as is making sure phones, TV remotes and door handles (or pretty much anything you touch) are as sanitary as possible. You might want to have friends or family bring you in your meals from home.
And if you suspect you may have a superbug, get seen by a medical professional straight away. Signs include severe abdominal pain, cramping and diarrhea. Take care to monitor your health if you working in a health care setting, were recently a patient in one, have a loved one in one, or have recently been on antibiotics.
Scary that the places you go to get well can make you really sick - or worse.
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Nasty little creatures, aren't they? Found a few tips from the CDC on how to prevent spreading it if you have it in the form of a skin infection.
1. Cover your wound. Keep wounds that are draining or have pus covered with clean, dry bandages. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on proper care of the wound. Pus from infected wounds can contain staph and MRSA, so keeping the infection covered will help prevent the spread to others. Bandages or tape can be discarded with the regular trash.
May 2, 2008 - 2:23pm2. Clean your hands. You, your family, and others in close contact should wash their hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.
3. Do not share personal items. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, washcloths, razors, clothing, or uniforms that may have had contact with the infected wound or bandage. Wash sheets, towels, and clothes that become soiled with water and laundry detergent. Drying clothes in a hot dryer, rather than air-drying, also helps kill bacteria in clothes.
4. Talk to your doctor. Tell any healthcare providers who treat you that you have or had a staph or MRSA skin infection.
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