Larry Prout's 99th surgery thread mentioned MRSA. I did not want to hijack the thread so I started this one. I watched a Frontline documentary last night about these new superbugs.
If I understand it correctly there is a NDM-1 gene within certain bacteria that causes antibiotic resistance. The scary part is this gene can be transmitted and exchanged through dissimilar strains of bacteria. This means patients may wind up having to fight infection of several different strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria at the same time.
I was left wondering if hospitals are required to notify patients coming in for elective surgeries if they have a current outbreak of any of these new superbugs? If not is there any way for patients to make themselves aware of an outbreak at a certain hospital?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/hunting-the-nightmare-bacteria/
If I understand it correctly there is a NDM-1 gene within certain bacteria that causes antibiotic resistance. The scary part is this gene can be transmitted and exchanged through dissimilar strains of bacteria. This means patients may wind up having to fight infection of several different strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria at the same time.
I was left wondering if hospitals are required to notify patients coming in for elective surgeries if they have a current outbreak of any of these new superbugs? If not is there any way for patients to make themselves aware of an outbreak at a certain hospital?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/hunting-the-nightmare-bacteria/
