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MRSA Infections: Hidden Killer
More people will die in the US this year from MRSA infections than from the swine flu (H1NI virus) or AIDS.
August 23, 2009 /Parenting PR News/ -- MRSA Infections: Hidden Killer
Article provided by Williams and Barber
Visit us at www.jeraldbarberlaw.com/
Thousands Die Each Year from the Deadly Infection
There have been many recent stories in the news about staph infections and, in particular, MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus). Many people still fail to recognize how dangerous MRSA infections are and, more importantly, how prevalent they have become.
More people will die in the US this year from MRSA infections than from the swine flu (H1NI virus) or AIDS. The Journal of the American Medicine Association estimates that 18,000 Americans die each year from MRSA infections. Comparatively, 447 Americans have died from the swine flu in 2009 and approximately 14,500 people died from AIDS in 2007.
Statistics also show that most people who develop MRSA do so after receiving care from a hospital or other health care facility, such as a nursing home or dialysis center. According to a report by the Archives of Internal Medicine, 12 percent of patients who require home health care are released from the hospital with MRSA. These patients are more likely to be elderly patients or younger patients with weakened immune systems. They also are more likely to pass the staph infection on to their family members, friends, in-home health care workers and others.
How Do You Get a MRSA Infection?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), people are the most common source of MRSA. Those who have had the infection before -- as well as those who have never had the infection before but are carriers of MRSA -- can spread the infection to others. Those who are carriers have what is referred to as "colonized" MRSA and are most likely to carry the bacteria inside their noses or on their skin.
The CDC also reports that the most common way to spread MRSA infections is from hand-to-hand contact. In a hospital setting, a patient may be a carrier of MRSA and spread it to a doctor or nurse by shaking his or her hand. If the health care provider does is not wearing gloves and fails to wash his or her hands, the provider can then spread the infection to other patients and hospital workers. Likewise, the health care worker also could be the carrier and spread the infection to patients and co-workers.
MRSA and other staph infections can be deadly. They are resistant to some of the most common types of antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections. If left untreated, MRSA can get into the blood stream and cause major organ failure, which eventually could result in death.
Taking Precautions to Protect Against MRSA Infections
One of the most common ways to prevent spreading MRSA is hand washing. While hand washing is a simple preventative measure, there have been several reports revealing the lack of compliance with the practice in hospitals, with some reports estimating that only 50 percent of hospital workers wash their hands regularly. Patients should ask their physicians and other health care providers to wash their hands and/or use gloves before examining them or otherwise touching them.
Other basic measures that can be taken by health care workers to limit the spread of MRSA include wearing gowns and using other protective gear, properly sterilizing medical equipment and regularly cleaning hospital floors, rooms and other surfaces patients come into contact with.
Some states, including Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, have taken an extra step to prevent the spread of MRSA and have passed laws requiring hospitals to screen high-risk patients for the staph infection. If the tests show the patients have MRSA, the hospital is then required to isolate them and take extra precautions to decrease the possibility of other patients and hospital workers getting the infection.
Legal Options Following a MRSA Infection
Those who have developed MRSA or another type of staph infection after spending time in a hospital may have legal options available to them. If the hospital staff and/or treating physician failed to provide the patient with the appropriate standard of medical care, the patient may be able to pursue a medical malpractice claim.
For example, if the treating doctor failed to take proper precautions to prevent an infection or failed to properly treat the infection once it developed, the patient may be entitled to compensation for any injuries caused by the doctor's negligence.
Families also may have the right to file a wrongful death claim if a loved one died from complications caused by MRSA. An attorney experienced in medical malpractice cases can help determine whether patients or their family has a viable claim and help them build the best possible case to recover compensation for their injuries.
Article provided by Williams and Barber
Visit us at www.jeraldbarberlaw.com/
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