Super Bugs in Hospitals - Protect Yourself

[ArtisteBleue]

[bohemian]

That links to gmail. Is there a link you meant?

[ArtisteBleue]

Hospital Super Bugs

[GrumpysWife]

When my sisters father-in-law went to the hospital, he got MERSA in his wound. He died from it. When my father went into the hospital he also got MERSA, it took some pretty heavy duty antibiotics to get rid of it. It is imperative to wash your hands before and after visiting a hospital.

[Josie]

My dear father-in-law (not one of JW's) caught MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) during a stay in hospital (we were told that the infection got in via the site of needle for blood transfusion). He died within a few days.

I also agree that hand washing is one of the best ways of preventing infection (hospital staff as well as visitors).

[Musky]

My mother went in for a simple surgery and caught a "hospital bug" and never got out of the hospital. It was resistant to antibiotics and they eventually stopped working until all her organs started shutting down. Now, when I visit friends in the hospital, I go like this:

[GrumpysWife]

I don't blame you, it is one of the most dangerous places to go.

[Willow]

Having worked in hospitals for a number of years I can tell you some horror stories. Now, I have a condition (it's sort of complicated but has to do with being on blood thinners due to my 2 mechanical heart valves) that lands me in the hospital for 6 - 12 day stays on at least an annual basis. I go in armed with my own disinfecting wipes and absolutely EVERYTHING gets cleaned by myself (or some other obsessive that I take with me) and the personnel find out right away that I want to see them use the sanitizing hand wash stuff the instant they enter my room! I've had 8 hospitalizations in the past 4 years (the shortest was 6 days and the longest was 17) and never gotten any bugs or infections so far. (They've nearly killed me in other ways but not those!) So it can be done but it takes considerable work on your part and your visitors' part in being your advocate. They are truly one of the most dangerous places for you to be. Not only as a patient but visitor as well. I was glad to see when the brothers from the visiting committee come in, they are very careful to wash their hands before and after touching you (if it's OK to touch you). And they have told me they receive very specific training about it. Our organization is so wonderful!

[retroHelen]

We have had very serious outbreaks of MRSA and C. Difficile in our hospitals in UK. Hospitals relied too much on giving everyone a dose of antibiotics when they went for surgery and less on keeping wards clean from the 1970's onwards. Nurses no longer watched out for hygiene on wards as their training became more technically based. Auxilliary carers rather than nurses are supposed to deal with keeping patients clean now - not nurses. Problem is that their training and wages are minimal and not enough are employed, so they don't have enough time to see to patients and their beds as they should. Ward cleaning was contracted out to private firms who also pay low wages to anyone and documentaries found people from shanty towns in Africa or India, sometimes illegal immigrants, were hired for a pittance, with no idea of hygiene for themselves let alone hospitals.

One sister in our congregation went over on her ankle and broke it. Simple matter of putting the bones right and a plaster for a few weeks. However,her ankle bones got infected with hospital acquired MRSA.The antibiotics could not reach into her ankle bones, so they were dissolved by the infection and she is permanently disabled now. Another brother had pneumonia when he went in hospital and now has MRSA on his lungs as well. It is very difficult to sue hospitals over here in the hope they improve their methods. There is a clause called Crown Immunity that hospitals can appeal to if anyone tries to seek recompence in many cases. One Staffordshire hospital was worse than one in a developing country. Horror stories of people left dirty starving and some died of neglect in their beds if relatives weren't there to help - or even if they were they were ignored, beggars belief. People died of neglect there for years until it became a National Scandal that the newspapers caught up with.

I have taken a bottle of disinfectant and wipes when Mother was in hospital and tackled some pretty disgusting bed and bathroom areas myself.Most hospitals encourage handwashing lately and even Senior's Residential homes have hand gels at the front-doors for everyone to use now.

A documentary pointed out that overuse of antibiotics has made many of these bacteria adapt and become immune to their effect. Bacteria cannot overcome a compound of effective chemicals though and it was found that MRSA did not like the natural compound antibiotic/antifungal that has been used for hundreds of years in New Zealand - even in the First Aid kits of the ANZACS (New Zealand army) in the First World War - Tea Tree Oil. This can now be found in mouthwashes soaps and hand gels. I have my own little (dilute 50/50 with a 'carrier oil') bottle wherever I go now. Just check your skin doesn't react to it as some are sensitive and wash it all away before eating with your hands or after the visit to hospital as it's strong stuff and shouldn't be swallowed.