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MRSA (antibiotic resistant bacteria) Warning-Please read if you/loved one are post-op
Long story, long. It’s a very important and increasingly common problem for anyone who spends any time in a hospital or has surgery, so if you’ve got time please try to read it so you don’t have to go through what we have.
About a week after my youngest was born via C-section, just over a year ago, my wife developed an abscess on her side (not near her c-sec scars). She started to feel real $h!tty, got fevers and the shakes so she called her GP. GP told her it was infected, drained it and gave her an antibiotic. A week went by and she didn't feel any better so her GP had her admitted to the hospital and referred us to the Infectious Disease specialist. He ran a bunch of tests, determined that it was anti-biotic resistant MRSA and started her on IV Vancomycin (sp?). After 3 days they sent her home and "trained" me how to hook the little pre-dosed and self-pumping Vanco bottles up to her IV so that she could finish the prescribed amount. Treatment-wise there was the little caveat that she was breast feeding, so many of the options were ruled out. In fact, the day after getting home the ID doc recommended ceasing the Vanco IV since she was feeling much better and still breast feeding. Two weeks later, the abscess got infected again in spite of keeping it clean and changing the dressing several times a day. She went in, had it drained and used topical Bactrim and it seemed to have done the trick. Her GP and OB/GYN are convinced it was hospital-borne, the hospital says she picked it up in a public place. Keep in mind, my wife had a rough pregnancy this time around so she didn’t leave the house for almost a month before giving birth and went directly home to recover from her c-sec so didn’t venture out then either. Fast forward to the next month. My newborn son develops a nasty diaper rash so we do our usual routine-diaper change when there’s even a hint of moisture or…, oatmeal baths, Butt Paste, medicated powder, etc. To no avail. Spikes a fever so we bring him to his Ped who says it’s an infection, he’d like to take a culture and prescribed Bactrim ointment given my wife’s recent ordeal. Confirmed Bactrim-susceptible MRSA. Fast forward to last month. My 10yo son has a sore spot on his nose, we figure it’s a zit and figure we’ll just keep an eye on it. By the next morning, the whole side of his nose is swollen inside and out. Very painful, warm to the touch. Must be infected. Off to the pediatrician we go. Doc is very concerned, glad we brought him in when we did, takes a culture, puts him on Keflex and, now thanks to our family history, Bactrim ointment. A couple days later the pain and swelling are gone. Confirmed Bactrim-susceptible MRSA. Fast forward to this past Tuesday. My 8 yo daughter gets her second sty in her left eye within the last month. It gets progressively worse even though we’ve been using the OTC sty medication and repeated warm compresses. Her eyelid begins to swell, gets redder and a second sty pops up. Wife calls the Ped, new nurse on the phone says it’s probably stress and give it another day. My wife calls bull$h!t and brings my daughter into the office. The Ped immediately takes a culture and prescribes Keflex and Bactrim. A couple of days later the pain and swelling are gone. Confirmed Bactrim-susceptible MRSA. Knowing what we now know about MRSA we would have been far more diligent and hard-@$$ed when it came to my wife’s original infection thanks to the hospital. While she was admitted for treatment for the MRSA, her door was posted with the infectious disease signs and the warnings for the docs and nurses to put on gowns, gloves, hair covering and facemasks and scrub their hands with a special disinfectant. A dedicated thermometer, blood pressure cuff and stethoscope were left in the room to avoid cross-contamination. That said, the dedicated equipment eventually disappeared, dressings were checked (not changed) with ungloved hands, temperature was taken with a thermometer out of a pocket and heart rate was checked with the stethoscope around the neck of whoever happened to come into the room. They usually remembered the mask and some remembered to wash their hands. MRSA can be contracted outside of the hospital (which is why legal recourse is so difficult in MRSA cases) and the bacteria is often present inside the nasal passages without any sign of having an infection until it spots an opportunity. Regular handwashing, especially with kids who have trouble keeping their fingers out of their noses, can prevent public-borne infections. And per her GP and the kids’ Ped advice, we have increased the chlorine level in our pool slightly for some additional treatment. We’ve been lucky in that each of the MRSA infections have responded well to the treatment. It can be fatal. PLEASE remind any doctor or nurse checking on you or a loved one after surgery to wash their hands before checking surgery sites and note if they do when leaving the room so you can notify the patient liaison if they didn’t. The infection is most likely contracted during surgery, but it is spread very easily. PLEASE document every step or perceived complication, you might need it later. And PLEASE if something just doesn’t feel right during recovery or after discharge, especially if there’s a fever or strange rash/abscess let your/their doctor know about it right away.
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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15 '06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod) |
#2
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Staff infections caught in the hospital are not uncommon, I am surprised they let your wife hooter feed knowing she had this infection and was on anti-biotics. Swamp- glad everything worked out for your family.
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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process." 2012 SLK 350 1987 420 SEL |
#3
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Quote:
All of the docs involved consulted each other to determine what antibiotics she could take while breast feeding and thought they would be effective enough. If it really came down to it, she was prepared to swith him to a bottle. He was most likely infected during the c-sec also but it took a couple weeks for the symptons (rash) to present itself. There were a lot of things that surprise me now looking back. I wish I knew then what I know now...
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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15 '06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod) |
#4
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It sounds like you've had a stressful few months. I'm glad to hear everyone is OK. As you know I have reason to keep an eye open for anything like this. Thanks for the heads up.
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Chad 2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE 1998 Acura 3.0 CL OBK#44 "Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) SOLD 1985 300TD - Red Dragon 1986 300SDL - Coda 1991 - 300TE 1995 - E320 1985 300CD - Gladys |
#5
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Quote:
If something doesn't look/seem right, don't be afraid to call a Dr.!
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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15 '06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod) |
#6
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Thanks for the heads up. I started reading the post and was expecting bad news. Thankfully your family is responding well.
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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman |
#7
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Wow, that's terrible. Glad your family has made it through. And thanks for teh heads-up.
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#8
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Yeah, I probably could have written the title differently. But thanks! So far so good!
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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15 '06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod) |
#9
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Quote:
And thanks!
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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15 '06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod) |
#10
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Good Lord, which hospital was this? Please PM if you don't want to broadcast it, but our common state residence has me concerned.
I'm surprised they stopped the Vanco when she come home, it's critical to complete the course of treatment especially with such a potent antibiotic. Feeling better is no reason to cut the treatment short, in fact it is usual to feel better before the course is done. The last thing you want is Vancomycin-resistant bacteria, and that is just how you would get it.
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2002 E320 4-Matic 2008 Subaru Outback 2009 Subaru Forester |
#11
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My brother is an infectious disease specialist, and he informed me about this new bacteria some time ago.
Thanks for reminding me about this! My wife is scheduling a surgery in the next couple of months. Glad you're wife pulled though and the baby was unharmed!
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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle 2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car 2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver 2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car |
#12
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Quote:
Very true about the need to complete the prescription to avoid the very thing you mention. The reasoning was that the results of the studies of breastfeeding while taking Vanco were inconclusive and the risk/reward wasn't worth it. Like I said there are many things I question now, you assume the Dr.'s and nurses know what they're talking about only to find out otherwise. To add insult to injury, even if indirectly, we had a full weeks worth of those Vanco dispensers delivered the day she got home at $150 bucks a pop, IIRC two a day, that insurance paid for. Only to have us throw them out.
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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15 '06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod) |
#13
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Thanks, G. Due diligence!
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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15 '06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod) |
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