New Staph "MRSA" infection scare

[ERnurse]

The new superbug you have seen in the news is for real. We have seen it for about 2 years in the Emergency Room and it is just now getting national publicity. If you have a "boil" or a "spider bite" come up and it gets really red around it and hot to touch, go to your doctor!! We as metal detectors are prone to this infection, because we get scraped up and get dirt and germs in the wounds. Wash your hands often and wear gloves digging. This is a deadly infection and has to be taken seriously.

Don't mean to scare anyone, but I like you guys and want to keep you around for a while. So see your doctor if you are concerned about any area that looks infected. Don't poke it with your rabbit skinnin knife or anything like that. This requires antibiotics and special care. Be safe and good luck detecting.

Your friendly ER Nurse

Rob

[EBCIII]

Thanks Rob for the warning. We have seen this also at my hospital were I work. The wierd thing is that until now, in the OR at least, it was like no big deal.

This past week the infection control officer was going around the hospital making sure we all had hand cleaning stations set up, Beale.

[bigbillinsc]

when i was workin as an electircian i cut my finger on a service panel (breaker box). the finger bled a lil but the human resource guy said i had to go to hospital. I think more for the pee test than the actual finger. a doc at ER looked at finger and super glued the cut. sent to wizz in a cup and sent me home. by 9 oclock that night my finger was swollen and hot. by the next day my hand was twice its normal size. the boss man sent me back to er and doc give me anti biotics and sent me back to work. the next day my hand was very red and still swollen but by lunch time red lines were moving up my arm. i had fever so boss sent me to hospital. they admitted me and called in specialist for my hand. 4 days later i was released from hospital. at one point they even discussed removing the finger to eliminate the worst of the infection. it is scary stuff. very scary stuff. especiallly since i am gettin ready to have surgery this week.

be careful yall. and happy huntin

PS: i passed the pee test and i didnt even study for it

[exnavyguy]

Unfortunately, several folks have died from this recently, mostly children. The Stafford County schools here in Virginia were closed for a day last week so that each school could be scrubbed down completely. It is a real issue.

In June I went to the hospital with an infection in the back of my thigh. It turned out to be very similar to the MRSA, spent three days in the hospital and 2 weeks on antibiotics afteward. The area resembled a spider bite, turned extremely red around the edges, with a black middle circle and a solid white core. Prior to being admitted to the hospital, I made two trips to the ER with this wound. I passed out before my second trip to the ER, thats when it was decided I needed to be admitted. Multiple shots, IV's, and constant blood test were the daily routine.

This all started with me about a day after spending some time in the park md'ing. I thought i had been bitten, but turned out it was a MRSA-like infection. PLEASE TAKE HEED, THIS IS REAL!

[EPC Guy]

Thanks Rob and EBC...this is scary stuff and well worth taking precautions!

[julieburger]

I will be extra diligent. Since I am a juvenile diabetic and because of that have very little immune I try to be really careful but I am still a tomboy and do stupid things I know better than. I will be better I promise.

[JohnWPA]

Thanks for posting Rob....this is definitely real and showing up in more places!

John

[dooby]

It is here in Texas as well, when I started back into metal detecting last summer the first thing I did was make sure my shots were up to date. Scary stuff !!!

[Zman]

Thanks for the heads up.

Call me paranoid, but I wear gloves and carry a bottle of antibacterial hand sanitizer in my pouch.

[gordiesgirl]

Thanks for the heads up. I am so glad you posted this. Working in a residential facility we have gotton a lot of faxes on the Staph infection and what to look for. thank you