On Monday the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an extensive report about the growing threat of antibiotic resistance in the United States. The report details the risks, prevalence and national impact of 18 different superbugs, including MRSA, rating each according to level of concern. The report also outlines what can be done to combat these growing threats.
Are MRSA carrier Moms a risk to their babies?
I just ran across this MRSA study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center that examined pregnant moms. They wanted to see for mothers who were carriers of MRSA (an antibiotic resistant form of Staph aureus bacteria), would they pass MRSA bacteria along to their baby during birth, and would their baby then become infected?
Seasons change the risk for MRSA for both kids and seniors
A new study from the John Hopkins Center, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows there is a seasonal pattern in the rate of MRSA infections in both the elderly and in children.
Preventing infections after surgery
On last nights Grey’s Anatomy Episode (titled “The Sleeping Monster”) the main theme was around the devastating impact a MRSA Infection can have on the carrier and those around her. The episode concentrated on surgically acquired MRSA Infections, how the CDC can get involved, and what it can do to those impacted by the situation. It’s not every day that they cover this story, or write in multiple deaths, so needless to say it was probably one of the more notable episodes they’ve filmed.
Continue reading
Household cleaning with essential oils
Essential oils come in many different varieties, with a huge range of uses and benefits. One of the best day-to-day uses for essential oils is in cleaning and controlling bacteria in your home. There are several oils with strong antibacterial action that are ideal for killing bacteria on home surfaces and objects. Combining several of these oils together into a blend can provide more benefits than any single oil can provide by itself, as you’ll see in the recipes below.
IBM discovers polymer that attacks drug resistant infections
Biofilms are protective layers that bacteria create to shield themselves from your immune system and to evade antibiotics. Biofilm colonies help bacteria to hide inside your body and can cause recurring Staph or MRSA infections. These protective colonies also allow bacteria to communicate with each other to become more resistant to antibiotics. Biofilms are a common problem plaguing catheters, pic lines and implanted medical devices that cause infections.
Continue reading
How to make your antibiotics work better
Antibiotic drugs are becoming less effective against MRSA each year, but there are ways to slow and even reverse this trend. Last week CNN did a story about yet another emerging superbug called CRE (carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae). This bacterial infection has been around for a while, but this new strain is resistant to many of the most powerful antibiotics and has been spreading in hospitals over the last 10 years.
Hospital infections now a leading cause of death
While it probably comes as no surprise that hospital acquired infections (HAI) are dangerous and can be deadly, a study in the Archives of Surgery show that they are now among the top 5 causes of death in the US.