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Alaska Does Not Track MRSA CasesDue to a lack of historical data, it is unclear how many Alaskans are infected with MRSA.Related Content
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Spencer Waitman said on Friday, Apr 22 at 1:26 PM
Some of the statements in this story are not true. The state does not track MRSA, however we do. Hospitals keep track of MRSA infections and also tests that show MRSA on the skin without causing disease. Secondly, it is not true that most MRSA infections occur in hospitals. In fact, the vast majority occur within the community. In our medical center, figures for 2010 show that more than 98 percent of MRSA cases came from the community. -- Spencer Waitman, infection preventionist, Providence Alaska Medical Center
65556707Lily Lou said on Friday, Apr 22 at 8:54 AM
Our first priority is to provide excellent care for each baby. In our efforts to reduce exposure, we are asking parents to join us in supporting these precautions: • Hand hygiene -- the careful and regular cleaning of your hands every time before and after you touch your baby -- is the single most important thing you can do. • In addition to our usual strict hand-hygiene practices, we will care for all babies who have screened positive in one confined area of the NICU. Their clinical caregivers will only be assigned to babies that area. • We are treating all positive babies with a topical antiseptic ointment to eradicate the bacteria. • We are screening all new admissions and will rescreen weekly. • We are limiting visitation to each patient’s primary personal caregivers. If you have any further questions, please speak with any one of our caregivers in the NICU or contact us at 212-6186. -- Lily Lou, MD, medical director, Newborn Intensive Care Unit
65536012Lily Lou, MD said on Friday, Apr 22 at 8:54 AM
I understand your concern. Lately there is increased public awareness of Staph bacteria, including MRSA. This includes important facts and also a lot of misinformation. When a baby in our Newborn Intensive Care Unit displays symptoms of illness, we take this seriously. If the cause could be spread by infection, we may screen other babies to help prevent transmission. Sometimes we screen for illness; sometimes we screen for bacteria in patients without symptoms. Staph exists throughout our community. Many people have it on their skin and are not sick. Screening positive does not mean that your baby is sick -- just that the strain can be detected by the test. Anyone who touches another person can transmit bacteria on their skin. The NICU has very stringent standards for staff hand hygiene and asks the same for parents. We believe that human contact is crucial for infant development. We do not think avoiding contact to prevent infection is worth avoiding interactions with parents.
65535967Not a Lawyer said on Thursday, Apr 21 at 10:47 PM
I so smell a lawsuit.
65501124Bud Bennett said on Thursday, Apr 21 at 9:36 PM
Hands, face, eyeball bleach... Brain wipes...
65498957AKMinimalist said on Thursday, Apr 21 at 10:34 AM
We all have staph bugs living on our skin. If you work in or visit a medical facility or a school / daycare you may well have the MRSA version of the staph on your skin. Hint: have you seen the wipes at the grocery stores to clean off the cart handles? My wife has a MRSA infection now from a surgery in February and the strain looks to be treatable with the antibiotic Bactrim. But it sure would have been nice to see which Alaskan medical facilities have histories of MRSA problems before she had surgery. (And I think Anonymous has a different infection - that bug is Igottabe Stupidicus it is rampant among Rednecks, causing verbal diarrhea. As with any infection wash your hands if you come in contact with them!)
65455664Bud Bennett said on Thursday, Apr 21 at 8:48 AM
To annonymous. You are very correct in your national debt issue. But again... How does that relate to MRSA?
65445902Anonymous said on Thursday, Apr 21 at 7:32 AM
Do they track the national debt? 4.1 Trillion divided by 111 million working american citizens who actually pay taxes? It equals $36,036.04 That each of the 111 million workers owes on the debt this year. The average wage in the United States is $43,460.00 a year. This leaves every United States citizen $7,424.00 to live on for the rest of the year. Could you live on that much left over from your wages? The government is bankrupt folks. When they hit $4,824,060,000,000.00 Trillion dollars a year in debt......then they will need every penny from every american citizen, to keep the government running for the year.
65438919checkmatedrive said on Wednesday, Apr 20 at 11:39 PM
They don't track that other killer virus either. They only have to report the first one they see and then any suspected deaths. People don't usually seek help until after the testing period is up. We have had lots of swine flu. HUGE. Washington state has had plenty as well.
65413737Melody said on Wednesday, Apr 20 at 10:29 PM
MRSA can vegitate to the heart and kill you,,, i know personally the devastation it causes, MRSA took my father in 2002 and it was very slow and became very hard for him and he's heart of gold. this should be tracked if you ask me, i am very grateful that the doctors found it, he decided he didnt want to go through the medication and the pain tha came with that, he lived for another 5 good months, then the last 2 were hardest... come on you crazy hospitals, start checking and treating people before it becomes even worse then it is.
65411587Concerned said on Wednesday, Apr 20 at 10:15 PM
At the emergency room last year the doctor told us my granddaughter had MRSA. He said he already seen 25 cases of it that day before her. Yet when we look at the release paperwork and it stated a skin lesion. HUMMM
65411047Bob said on Wednesday, Apr 20 at 10:10 PM
Seems to me this is something that SHOULD be tracked , and closely.
65410977Barb said on Wednesday, Apr 20 at 9:35 PM
Of course the State doesn't track MRSA: it would be much too embarassing when the astounding numbers of MRSA cases in the State jails and prisons was made public.
65409849robert sparks said on Wednesday, Apr 20 at 8:51 PM
msra is highly infectious and any hospital that fails to test all admitted patients for msra is needlessly subjecting its patients to exposure to this horrible infection. Testing is cheap.
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