A Killer tune (M.R.S.A. (Super Bug))

Name: David A. Brett

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Product:	M.R.S.A. (Super Bug)
Date:	28/06/05 (938 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Is there any?

Disadvantages: Plenty see review

Following my accident in 1996 it was a regular occurrence that a new ailment was added to the list of things for my body to cope with. First come Diabetes, then Hypothyroidism, then liver problems and so on.

At some point during my recovery a male nurse knelt beside my bed and uttered the words “You have M R S A”! He proceeded to tell me it was nothing to worry about although I was going to have to be moved to the infectious diseases ward, as they had no side rooms on the orthopaedic ward where I was.

I was unperturbed by this latest worry as I had worked on the infectious diseases ward previously and realised that freedom of the patient was far from restricted.

SO WHAT IS M R S A? The initials stand for: Methicillin-Resistant-Staphylococcus-Aureus a proud name that is easy to say when you know how and had as much practise at saying it as I have. Indeed whilst my ignorance of the condition carried on I changed the letters of the song Y M C A to M R S A…I didn’t really know that MRSA could be a killer.

As a recent campaign by ITV news and GMTV pointed out, MRSA can prove fatal and certainly disfiguring to some people.

As you know by now it is a serious condition; especially in people with ill health, elderly, and young children, those with open wounds etc. M R S A is immune to all antibiotics with the exception of one or two. Although it has to be said around 30% of people carry M R S A in their noses or skin without having any ill effects. M R S A slows the healing process and to this end makes people poorly for longer.

HOW IS IT TREATED? Personally I was given one of the antibiotics that work against the disease- vancomycin. Vancomycin is a powerful drug that required me to have blood test both before and after each treatment with it via drip: I understand this was to check for liver or kidney problems that the drug may cause as Vancomycin is very potent. In addition I was also given special talcum powder, cream, toothpaste, and shampoo. All of which had to be used regularly to help slow the disease breeding or kill it. My wounds were cleaned regularly presumably with special disinfectant although I am not sure of this.

HOW TO AVOID CATCHING IT: It’s fairly simple and we probably all know by now the easiest way of containing the infection is hygiene – especially hand washing. But I lost count of the times during my six-month hospital stay that staff (all ranks) went from patient to patient WITHOUT giving their hand so much as a thought. Also wash bowls were simply swished around with a little cold water, and water jugs looking as though they had seen better days.

In addition the floor around my bed was fairly thick with fluff: Luckily I was friendly with the cleaning manager who came to see me, and spotted just how dirty the ward was, and had it brought up to date immediately – including changing the blood stained curtains.

Had the basic hygiene preparations been in effect when I was hospitalised, it would have reduced the risk of me catching the dreaded and most talked about disease of recent times.

A few more words of wisdom from the NHS direct now:
• Keeping your hands and body clean. Take soap, a flannel and moist hand-wipes with you, as well as your own razor.
• Always wash your hands after using the toilet or commode (many hospitals now routinely offer a hand-wipe).
• Always wash your hands or clean them with a hand-wipe immediately before and after eating a meal.
• Make sure your bed area is regularly cleaned and report any unclean toilet or bathroom facilities to staff.

CONFUSED MESSAGES: [However the messages aren’t always clear] When I was found to have M R S A, I was immediately shipped out to yet another ward – the infectious diseases one. From my hospital bed I was told I WAS able to go down to the main concourse: I WAS able to meet people and go outside the building: I WAS able to go for coffee or meals in the hospital restaurants: However, I WAS NOT allowed to go on to other wards and meet other patients there. Generally speaking I could do anything I felt I was up to and able to do.

Then came a blow for me I was to be sent to Norfolk and Norwich hospital as the orthopaedics’ surgeons at Addenbrooke’s could do no more for me.

At the N & N I was surprised to see the sheer difference between their M R S A policies. For example at the N & N I simply wasn’t allowed out of my room, visitors were made to gown up, and similar to Addenbrooke’s they were requested to wash their hands. The difference was simply amazing…Two hospitals both NHS, Two totally different views of M R S A. One with a high rate of MRSA and the other with a lower rate, I’ll leave you to decide which was which.

THE EFFECTS OF THE DISEASE: Of course we all know the possible outcome could be fatal, but if you are string enough to battle for your life it might not be easy. M R S A can slow the healing process dramatically and even halt it altogether, with the possibility of boils and abscesses in any part of the body, impetigo (an infectious skin disease), septic wounds, heart-valve infections, food poisoning and toxic shock syndrome (source direct).

MY EXPERIENCE: I guess I was lucky in as much as my body was already fighting many problems following a serious road traffic accident, and my attitude towards MRSA was jovial as I was unaware of any real danger with the illness. I was still allowed the operations I needed; I just had to assume my usual position in races – last. While everyone else was having their operations early morning and eating again by tea time, I was longing for it to be over.
So all in all MRSA was nothing more than something that slowed my healing and made me washed with items I wasn’t used to. But I have heard stories on TV about people having died, and seen reports about staff EVEN NOW not adhering to the cleanliness code to help combat the condition.
I can only imagine how frustrating and time consuming the extra washing of hands and thorough cleansing of people and places can be, but to get the number of fatalities and other problems down staff really need to adhere to the rules.

ALL CLEAR: To be officially clear of MRSA, you need to have three (3) clear swabs back from the lab. I was classed as clear, after just one, when I queried it I had another swab set and was again told I was clear, and I am still waiting for my third clear swab. I guess two out of three ain’t bad, but the third one would have helped ease my mind further.
If you have had MRSA and post an opinion on it please let me know so I can read it.

Thanks for reading – Dave

P.S. I didn't feel any less well (or unwell) than i had been for ages, when I was diagnosed with MRSA.

For further information the following web sites are available:
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en.asp?Topi cID=314&AreaID=837&LinkID=440
http://www.n etdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/mrsa.htm
http://www. bbc.co.uk/health/ask_doctor/mrsa.shtml
http://www. bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/shouldiworryabout/ mrsa.shtml

Summary: A potentially lethal infection