The past 10 years has shown an alarming increase in the number of hospitals that have patients who become infected with MRSA. This is known also as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and it is a powerful antibiotic resistant germ. The thing that hospitals do not want you to know is that the epidemic went from around 145 a year to around a whopping 5,000 a year. The kicker is that you won’t find these numbers lurking in easily accessed public records anywhere.
This horrific germ can be highly infectious and has claimed as many as 20,000 lives in a year. It had even been labeled more deadly than aids under some circumstances, and definitely claimed more lives that AIDS. All it takes is a sneeze, a touch or a contaminated surface to seal your fate. Nine out of ten people who are infected become infected in a medical setting.
MUST READ: What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You About MRSA?
The year 2007 sent people scrambling for their hand sanitizers and Clorox wipes. This is when the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the announcement concerning the amount of lives that MRSA was taking in comparison to other diseases, and it was deemed almost incurable through antibiotic treatments. Still, it did not start in 2007, as a matter of fact MRSA has been killing people for years.
A Doctor’s Comments Concerning MRSA and Hospital Secrecy
MRSA is a very serious and potentially life threatening illness that in many cases can be avoided with proper procedure, sanitization and other precautionary measures. Other times contact is unavoidable.
The fact that antibiotics in these times are often overprescribed building an immunity if you will does not help the fact that we are seeing more and more antibiotic resistant illnesses. When coupled with antibiotics used in our food supply the problem is compounded. With something like MRSA that can be catastrophic.
Is MRSA a Man Made Plague?
MRSA in many cases can be viewed as man made because of the overuse of all antibiotics and several layers. It is not as much of a lack in hygiene, testing and sanitization as it is even though these are all essential to prevention.
Hospitals are breeding grounds for MRSA. On average the human hands carry up to 150 types of bacteria at any given time with the forearm having around 180 different types of bacteria. Some are essential and others are quite deadly.
Almost 40% of carriers won’t ever know they carry MRSA. This makes spreading it even easier. You do not always now if the nurse has MRSA on her hands or if the patient in the bed next to you has it in his or her nasal passages making it airborne with every sneeze. You could even get it when a loved one takes the elevators or touches your room door to come in and they check your surgical site dressing after touching a contaminated surface.
Tips to Avoid MRSA in the Hospital and Beyond
You can take precautions while in the hospital and everywhere else to protect yourself from MRSA. Start with only taking antibiotics if there is no other choice, and check your food sourced so that you do not get antibiotic infused meats. Wash your hands often and think clean, sanitary and sterile in all of your activities.
Contrary to popular belief you should not use antibacterial soaps. They are more harmful than they are good for you. They have also been deemed as a contributing factor in the spread of MRSA and other antibiotic resistant illnesses.
Follow the same guidelines when choosing a disinfectant as you do antibacterial soaps. Do not use home cleaning and disinfecting products that suggest that they are antibacterial. Your best weapon against MRSA is knowledge, and you can never be too clean or too careful nowadays in the hospital or out.
