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MRSA nothing new 11/13/08 09:53:20 AM [7 Comments]
Before everyone freaks out-- news reporting 6 cases of newborns who are carrying MRSA(methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus)at QEH. This is one of the several strains of antibiotic resistant buggers as a result of them becoming more resistant due to the misuse of antibiotics by North Americans over the years. It is nothing new-- we've been dealing with it for years(we were taking precautions as I remember at a hospital I worked at in Ohio back in 98.) MRSA and its cousins such as VRE(vancomycin resistant enterococcus) in and of themselves do nothing. They can be a problem if one gets an infection in a wound as there are fewer available effective antibiotics, and staph infections can be very nasty. As long as people take precautions, handwashing being still the main one, and avoiding leaving open cuts, abrasions, out where they might come in contact with someone else's body fluids there's not a lot to worry about. At least not to the level the news folks would have you believe. People took antibiotics for everything for years(even for colds) and through not taking the entire course and saving some for "the next time" various strains became more resistant. It is indeed a problem but I wouldn't be terribly afraid of EMS, doctors' offices, and hospitals because of it. [Click Here For Full Discussion]