[BSNDec06]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354696,00.html

"A Kansas City-area teenager who tried to pierce his lip with a needle from a first-aid kit ended up with a staph infection that almost killed him.

Zeke Wheeler of Blue Springs is recovering at Children's Mercy Hospital after several surgeries on his knees and hips to remove the drug-resistant infection called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Now the 15-year-old high school freshman faces heart surgery, more hospitalization and a long course of antibiotics.

Rahimian said he thinks Wheeler will recover, although the teenager might have some chronic consequences."

[onmyway2oncology]

Does someone in his family have MRSA? Did the first aid kit belong to someone else? I doubt that the staph just "existed" on the needle. Maybe the needle was being shared amoung others? Very sad.

[Hopefull2009]

Originally Posted by onmyway2oncology

Does someone in his family have MRSA? Did the first aid kit belong to someone else? I doubt that the staph just "existed" on the needle. Maybe the needle was being shared amoung others? Very sad.

That was my question.

Wouldn't the needle be sterile?

[sharrie]

It may not have been the needle though, it could have been that he didn't adequately prep his skin, maybe was a carrier or came into contact with a carrier whilst he had the open wound on his lip.


Facts about MRSA

[bassandtea]

The full article mentioned that he was at home with the flu when he pierced his lip.

[fenders]

I worked in infection control up in canada for a litttle bit and always got reports of staph (mot mrsa) infections from nurses not prepping the injection sites properly. ALot of nurses don't realize that that staphlycoccus aureous lives on your skin as good bacteria but when it gets int he blood stream it can colonize into a bad unstable bacteria.

Mrsa is treated differently in the states then it is in canada, we attack the problem in the public (which is costly but has made a difference)whereas it's more of a cost effective approach in the states and they are more concerned about staff then the public.

We isolate any patients who come from outside canada especialy the states as a precuation as a majority of the american patients we get are positive. im sure we have staff that are positive.

That article tells me that this individual is colonized with the methycillin resistent chain and alot of times the mrsa is heavily colonized in the nasal canal so ity relaly needs to be preped well.

If mrsa gets into the blood stream it can be deadly. They call it the new athletes foot as there was a few cases where some gym members had cuts on their feet and got it from the floor of the gym in the changeroom.

I think tattoo artists should be certified to puncture holes in people so that they have a basic understanding of infection control and proper prepping procedures.

[Hopefull2009]

Originally Posted by fenders

I worked in infection control up in canada for a litttle bit and always got reports of staph (mot mrsa) infections from nurses not prepping the injection sites properly. ALot of nurses don't realize that that staphlycoccus aureous lives on your skin as good bacteria but when it gets int he blood stream it can colonize into a bad unstable bacteria.

Mrsa is treated differently in the states then it is in canada, we attack the problem in the public (which is costly but has made a difference)whereas it's more of a cost effective approach in the states and they are more concerned about staff then the public.

We isolate any patients who come from outside canada especialy the states as a precuation as a majority of the american patients we get are positive. im sure we have staff that are positive.

That article tells me that this individual is colonized with the methycillin resistent chain and alot of times the mrsa is heavily colonized in the nasal canal so ity relaly needs to be preped well.

If mrsa gets into the blood stream it can be deadly. They call it the new athletes foot as there was a few cases where some gym members had cuts on their feet and got it from the floor of the gym in the changeroom.

I think tattoo artists should be certified to puncture holes in people so that they have a basic understanding of infection control and proper prepping procedures.

Well, here is something scary...

A couple of years ago I had a tetanus booster and when the nurse came over to give me the shot, she started to do so without an alcohol prep at all.

Before she came at me with the needle, I reminded her, and she said, "Oh, research has shown that it hasn't made any difference."

I pulled my arm away and said, "Well, call me weird, but I"ll have to insist."

[hajiagambo]

Wao, poor kid, hope this be a lesson to others that who can't just do those kind of things at home.

[fenders]

Oh boy, What research was she reading? I 'd love to see that article and who wrote is, was it peer reviewed, how many subjects? anyone can write a research article.

That's a scarey story hopeful, thanks for sharing that. I would have reported that nurse not to get her fired but to maybe educate the staff in that facility.

I've worked with the lab and have seen the staph colonies ont he microscpe, it is there. The mrsa you dont see until the lab tech applies the antibiot and the staph pushes it away. pretty neat stuff.

I guess everyone should be aware

[morte]

Originally Posted by Hopefull2009

Well, here is something scary...

A couple of years ago I had a tetanus booster and when the nurse came over to give me the shot, she started to do so without an alcohol prep at all.

Before she came at me with the needle, I reminded her, and she said, "Oh, research has shown that it hasn't made any difference."

I pulled my arm away and said, "Well, call me weird, but I"ll have to insist."

hmmm i think there was some info on diabetics self inj at home and the alcohol preps didnt seem to make a difference....and i have heard that it doesnt seem to do much....but i still do it,lol