MRSA: An Informative Guide
Have
you ever had a surgery? Okay, have you ever had an extended stay in the
Hospital for any reason? You are there under the care of your
physician, as well as the nurses, and sometimes even residents. You are
there to heal, to recover- to get better.
But the longer you are in the hospital, the more you are at risk of coming down with what you may know as a "staph infection."
If you don't anything, or very little about "staph" you may "assume" that it refers to as something you get from the hospital "staff" and you are partially right.
The full and given name for the common "staph infection" is: Staphylococcus Aureus. You may also have heard of it called MRSA, to which although it is an abbreviation for: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, but people simply pronounce it as "mersa." Once persons get any strain of a "staph" infection, the CDC has to be informed. CDC is the Center for Disease Control. Your name, the strain and what "caused" you to obtain the infection is taken down, and blood tests are taken, and your results are logged.
The most common way for people to get this infection is through an open wound, or people within added hardware, or an already weakened immune system. Yes, there are other ways, to share this infection, actually too many to list. And as with anything, yes there are precautions you can take.
MRSA itself is referred to as the "super bug" because it is the worse of all "staph" infections. With these "staph" infections, antibiotics are required. The best treatment requires receiving the antibiotics interveinously. Better known as an IV. Taking antibiotics interveinously is damaging to the veins, so in most cases, treatment requires a "PICC Line." A PICC line is put into your arm; it is a catheter inserted into a large vein in your arm, which leads the medications generally close to the heart. To get a PICC line, you will need a specialist; (usually a radiologist) and they use an XRay to be certain it is guided in right. A PICC line can remain in you for up to a year, if taken care of properly. From my experience, and others who have had the PICC line, none of us experienced pain having the PICC line put into our arms.
MRSA is the hardest to treat because it has a resistance to a large number of antibiotics, especially the varieties of penicillins. MRSA has developed it self, or evolved making its ability to survive.
Persons, who end up with MRSA, do not ask or sign up for it. But yet, in order to receive treatment, they must pay for it. And if they have health insurance, they may still have a co-pay.
The biggest problem in hospitals, is the lack of gloving. And let us not forget those who come to work sick. And my utmost favorite is those who come and draw blood for blood tests, they glove up, and then tear off the end of the finger. Then they feel around, then they alcohol the area, reapply their ungloved finger, and then stick you with the needle, which they are holding next to your skin, with their skin. This person in question will try to assure you, it is safe, and that everyone does it. To which, yeah- unfortunately a lot of nurses do, do this. They claim that they cannot feel the vein with a gloved finger. I speak from experience!
A friend of mine, who acquired MRSA, lived in an elderly trailer park. Residents who found out that he had it, and began shooing him, and "tried" to insist he put a "contagious" warning upon his house. This is not legal. Yes, people can get MRSA or whatever strain that you may have- IF they have certain conditions themselves. Unless you, with the strain-sneezes and or coughs all over the person, and their immune system is low, and they breath it all in. And then sometimes, there is still a chance that they just might not get it, after all! It is a gamble. These infections are still to this day, being studied and learned about, as well as ever changing. On top of that- every person is different.
If you are in the hospital under going treatment for MRSA or any other type of "staph" infection- please be certain of several things. Make certain your nurse's glove AND mask. Your blood pressure machine should be your own; not something the entire floor is using. This is not just for your benefit, but for the benefit of everyone else in the Hospital as well. Everything in your room, stays in your room. Once you are discharged the Hospital, or Hospice is require to thoroughly clean each and every item including the bed you laid on. In your hospital room, should be a sink with hand washing materials such as soap, preferably disinfectant. Once your visitors enter, (including hospital staff!) have them wash up, then glove up for their protection as well as yours. Before they leave, I suggest making them clean again. I would suggest informing your guests before they arrive to buy hand sanitizer. As for you, I would suggest carrying hand sanitizer from this point on, too.
Treatment usually includes two IVs a day, one in the morning, one in the evening. Sometimes they may also prescribe other antibiotics for you to take internally at the same time, and sometimes even a cream for the inside of your nostrils. It all depends on what your doctor thinks is the best procedure for your type of "staph."
Don't let people treat you like you have the cooties, and like you are the problem. In this case, you are the victim. You did not ask for this, trust me.
Contacting an Attorney is your choice in this matter. However, the Attorney cannot (so I was told) do anything until no one is treating or taking care of the infection. If you end up with this infection under the care of the hospital or your doctor, it is their responsibility. If they choose to do nothing, then you have a case for your Attorney.
My sources? My own experience! I asked the Doctor questions, my nurses, even my insurance company. I also spoke to an Attorney as well. I learned this one on one, unfortunately.
Thanks to having to learn about MRSA, I decided to research it. I learned that it was first discovered in the United Kingdom in 1961. The first time it made its appearance in the United States was 1981. Yes, there have been fatalities.
As MRSA grows, (in any and all of its states) it learns and grows immune to things, including hand sanitizers, and antibiotics.
Something you need to learn and consider, is using hand sanitizer is a good thing, but you still need to physically clean your hands at your earliest convenience, because if you don't, all that you are doing is cleaning the germs as they remain on your hands. And yes, the sanitizer may say that it kills the germs, but after continual use WITHOUT hand washing you are NOT doing yourself any justice. The germs on your hands, then can be re-spread to door handles and what not. So whatever you do, wash your hands!
One more thing before I close, and this came from several nurses and Doctors: "MRSA never completely leaves your body. It only goes dormant!" When asked if this is fact, I was told numerous times by numerous people, that this factor was still under investigation.
If you don't anything, or very little about "staph" you may "assume" that it refers to as something you get from the hospital "staff" and you are partially right.
The full and given name for the common "staph infection" is: Staphylococcus Aureus. You may also have heard of it called MRSA, to which although it is an abbreviation for: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, but people simply pronounce it as "mersa." Once persons get any strain of a "staph" infection, the CDC has to be informed. CDC is the Center for Disease Control. Your name, the strain and what "caused" you to obtain the infection is taken down, and blood tests are taken, and your results are logged.
The most common way for people to get this infection is through an open wound, or people within added hardware, or an already weakened immune system. Yes, there are other ways, to share this infection, actually too many to list. And as with anything, yes there are precautions you can take.
MRSA itself is referred to as the "super bug" because it is the worse of all "staph" infections. With these "staph" infections, antibiotics are required. The best treatment requires receiving the antibiotics interveinously. Better known as an IV. Taking antibiotics interveinously is damaging to the veins, so in most cases, treatment requires a "PICC Line." A PICC line is put into your arm; it is a catheter inserted into a large vein in your arm, which leads the medications generally close to the heart. To get a PICC line, you will need a specialist; (usually a radiologist) and they use an XRay to be certain it is guided in right. A PICC line can remain in you for up to a year, if taken care of properly. From my experience, and others who have had the PICC line, none of us experienced pain having the PICC line put into our arms.
MRSA is the hardest to treat because it has a resistance to a large number of antibiotics, especially the varieties of penicillins. MRSA has developed it self, or evolved making its ability to survive.
Persons, who end up with MRSA, do not ask or sign up for it. But yet, in order to receive treatment, they must pay for it. And if they have health insurance, they may still have a co-pay.
The biggest problem in hospitals, is the lack of gloving. And let us not forget those who come to work sick. And my utmost favorite is those who come and draw blood for blood tests, they glove up, and then tear off the end of the finger. Then they feel around, then they alcohol the area, reapply their ungloved finger, and then stick you with the needle, which they are holding next to your skin, with their skin. This person in question will try to assure you, it is safe, and that everyone does it. To which, yeah- unfortunately a lot of nurses do, do this. They claim that they cannot feel the vein with a gloved finger. I speak from experience!
A friend of mine, who acquired MRSA, lived in an elderly trailer park. Residents who found out that he had it, and began shooing him, and "tried" to insist he put a "contagious" warning upon his house. This is not legal. Yes, people can get MRSA or whatever strain that you may have- IF they have certain conditions themselves. Unless you, with the strain-sneezes and or coughs all over the person, and their immune system is low, and they breath it all in. And then sometimes, there is still a chance that they just might not get it, after all! It is a gamble. These infections are still to this day, being studied and learned about, as well as ever changing. On top of that- every person is different.
If you are in the hospital under going treatment for MRSA or any other type of "staph" infection- please be certain of several things. Make certain your nurse's glove AND mask. Your blood pressure machine should be your own; not something the entire floor is using. This is not just for your benefit, but for the benefit of everyone else in the Hospital as well. Everything in your room, stays in your room. Once you are discharged the Hospital, or Hospice is require to thoroughly clean each and every item including the bed you laid on. In your hospital room, should be a sink with hand washing materials such as soap, preferably disinfectant. Once your visitors enter, (including hospital staff!) have them wash up, then glove up for their protection as well as yours. Before they leave, I suggest making them clean again. I would suggest informing your guests before they arrive to buy hand sanitizer. As for you, I would suggest carrying hand sanitizer from this point on, too.
Treatment usually includes two IVs a day, one in the morning, one in the evening. Sometimes they may also prescribe other antibiotics for you to take internally at the same time, and sometimes even a cream for the inside of your nostrils. It all depends on what your doctor thinks is the best procedure for your type of "staph."
Don't let people treat you like you have the cooties, and like you are the problem. In this case, you are the victim. You did not ask for this, trust me.
Contacting an Attorney is your choice in this matter. However, the Attorney cannot (so I was told) do anything until no one is treating or taking care of the infection. If you end up with this infection under the care of the hospital or your doctor, it is their responsibility. If they choose to do nothing, then you have a case for your Attorney.
My sources? My own experience! I asked the Doctor questions, my nurses, even my insurance company. I also spoke to an Attorney as well. I learned this one on one, unfortunately.
Thanks to having to learn about MRSA, I decided to research it. I learned that it was first discovered in the United Kingdom in 1961. The first time it made its appearance in the United States was 1981. Yes, there have been fatalities.
As MRSA grows, (in any and all of its states) it learns and grows immune to things, including hand sanitizers, and antibiotics.
Something you need to learn and consider, is using hand sanitizer is a good thing, but you still need to physically clean your hands at your earliest convenience, because if you don't, all that you are doing is cleaning the germs as they remain on your hands. And yes, the sanitizer may say that it kills the germs, but after continual use WITHOUT hand washing you are NOT doing yourself any justice. The germs on your hands, then can be re-spread to door handles and what not. So whatever you do, wash your hands!
One more thing before I close, and this came from several nurses and Doctors: "MRSA never completely leaves your body. It only goes dormant!" When asked if this is fact, I was told numerous times by numerous people, that this factor was still under investigation.
Published by Deneale K. Williams
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