EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance MRSA infection

If something is old is it not an indication that it has earned the right to survive, John? Just look at me. Still going strong (in spite of all those bacteria)! Ha, ha.

The thread may be three years old, but the problem has obviously not gone away! Words fail me on this one, so I'll leave you to reflect upon it, and draw your own conclusions.

As long as the human race tries to fight against nature, the problem (of bacterial infection) will never be over. As for conquering the world, it was theirs to begin with.

The problem lies with human arrogance. Just because humans are, the self-proclaimed “pinnacle” of evolution, it does not follow that we have the divine right to survive. If you look at any extinction event, bacteria always survive, partly due to their sheer numbers, but also due to their diversity and adaptability. They reproduce so quickly, and allow genetic mutants to “take their chances”, that they are always able to adapt to new conditions – how do you think that life became so diverse in the first place? So, if you look at it from the perspective of survivability, are humans or bacteria the pinnacle of evolution?

We have to learn to live with nature as we have done for thousands of years, not fight against it.

You get my vote, BSM. "Adapt and survive" is the secret of life. My crystal ball shows the ultimate battle to be between the machines and the bugs. Man, in all his frailty, will have disappeared by then I should imagine (or, perhaps reduced to the subservient role of tending the machines - a trend that I started myself over thirty years ago, come to think of it)! But meanwhile, Long Live Low-Life, as I like to say!

My point in placing the link about that poor young bloke was to alert people to the plight of a wounded hero falling victim to not only MRSA, but c.diff as well in the same hospital. Don't know about you guys, but I find that outrageous! Not to mention unforgivable.

Bring back the old style Matron and stop the practice of Hot Bedding!!!!!!

And while we're at it, let's get rid of the clipboards, and bring back the Florence Nightingale ethos. Surely leaving patients to lie in their own mess is never acceptable.

And ... return to visiting times, and restrict the number of visitors at any one time. I've seen places where it looks like the whole street turns up! It overwhelms the ward, let alone the patient!

How To Give Your Patient A Hospital Aquired Infection.
1.Put on clean uniform.
2.On entry to ward, notice Hand Hygiene poster and use alcohol gel provided. (so far so good?)
3.On entry to patients bed area, notice sign saying STOP! Have YOU DECONTAMINATED YOUR HANDS? Duly clean your hands again with the alcogel provided. (this is easy).
4.You may want to don a pair of gloves just to be absolutely sure.
5.Witness domestic staff busily going about their job with sheer dedication to keeping the ward spotless.(Can't get much better than this!)
6.Attach dirty Syringe pump to patient thus also contaminating hands.
7. Attach dirty ECG electrodes to patient. (they look clean but i wonder what that minute trace of black stuff is right inside each clip?)
8. Follow above procedure for several days.
9. Wonder why patient has caught a HAI.
10. Notice Hand Hygiene posters everywhere and the media coverage of hand hygiene.
11. Moral? Dirty Medical Devices have prolonged direct contact with patients and without clean equipment it is pointless following hand hygiene procedures.
So wheres all the posters & media coverage relating to devices?

You forgot the manky BP cuff Topper!

This is Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, whilst this is Clostridium Difficile. Two entirely different beasts, as you can see.

Outside of the path lab, the only stinking bits of medical equipment I have ever come across have been commodes, bed-pan washers and the odd suction pump that has been "left to ferment", as it were.

For MRSA it is essential that an alcohol gel is used on the hands. For C.Dificile it is necessary to wash the hands with soap and water!!! Go figure?!!!!