Why this isn’t being reported as major news I have no idea. This is an emergency national heath issue, and yet flu season gets more attention. Make double-sure you know the conditions under which loved ones are living in or being treated in.
While this story is from a local Miami affiliate, this is a national problem.
An antibiotic-resistant family of bacteria continues to spread throughout the U.S. health care system and is now prompting warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The bacteria, Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), kill up to half of the patients who get the bloodstream infections from the disease. The disease has evolved a resistance to carbapenems, also called last-resort antibiotics.
In addition, the CRE bacteria can reportedly transfer its resistance to other bacteria within its family. The transfer of resistance can create additional life-threatening infections for patients in hospitals, longer-term health care facilities, and possibly otherwise healthy people, according to the CDC.
The CDC said almost all CRE infections occur in people receiving “significant medical care in hospitals, long-term acute care facilities, or nursing homes.”
“CRE are nightmare bacteria. Our strongest antibiotics don’t work and patients are left with potentially untreatable infections,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.
( I’ve been writing this a lot lately)……
Oh C’MON!!! CAN’T BE!!!
I haven’t heard a word about it on the news!!!
(if that virus is that deadly, just think of all those wasted Light Armored Tanks.)
As nurses we have been warned for years about invading species and seen susceptible patients lose their fight to them, but personally speaking,I lost a dear friend to MRSA that led to septic shock and a terrible death so this new threat is very serious because it appears to be worse than that.Bacteria is more treatable then a virus but can live on non-living surfaces thereby being uncontainable. I can’t believe the CDC isn’t doing more to warn people.
As someone with a healthcare background, married to a healthcare provider, I am very aware of the need to avoid unneeded antibiotics. HOWEVER, as a mom, I am mortified by the idea that ear infections should be left untreated to resolve on their own. I have had all five of our kiddos — and ME (as a child and adult)–each have dozens of repeated ear infections. I defy these same doctors who advocate this particular non-use of antibiotics walk the floors with a screaming infant night after night (when the right drug can end the illness in 24 hours) or try to carry on all day after repeated sleepless nights with aforementioned baby or toddler. Let’s see how they do with the infections themselves — and nothing for pain but Tylenol.
I am now hearing from friends that they have infants and tots developing mastoiditis from untreated ear infections, that today is an almost non-existent type of infection that can lead to brain infections (it used to be a leading cause of child mortality) and the need for surgery to remedy it. We tread a fine line between overuse and necessary use.