Guest guest Posted October 31, 2001 Report Share Posted October 31, 2001 Here is what I know and have found about " staph " infection.... good luck.... Scientists may have struck a blow in the war against killer germs. One of the most common infection-causing bacteria is Staphylococcus (STAF-IL-O-KOK-US) aureus, commonly called " staph. " This bacteria causes minor skin and wound infections, but it also can cause potentially fatal infections, such as toxic shock syndrome and pneumonia. What's really frightening about this bacteria is that strains of it are developing resistance against antibiotics used to fight it. That makes it difficult to treat and means some seemingly minor infections could become deadly. But some scientists have taken another approach. Instead of fighting staph with antibiotics, they're disarming it before it can cause an infection. They've developed a vaccine that keeps staph bacteria from producing the toxins that cause infections. The disarmed bacteria eventually are eliminated by the body. Scientists are still researching how best to make this approach to fighting staph work. In the meantime, doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say you can help slow the development of drug-resistant bacteria by following your doctor's instructions when you take antibiotics. Take all the antibiotics that are prescribed, don't self-prescribe old antibiotics from previous illnesses for new illnesses, and don't insist on taking an antibiotic even when your infection is from a virus not a bacteria. Hugs Kris - Mommy to - (Austin - Aug 23, 1999 - Sept 22, 1999 CHARGE) - 16, ie - 14. - 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 31, 2001 Report Share Posted October 31, 2001 Staph...stapholycoccus....a hospital's worst nightmare. This is very common, esp in hospital settings, it can run rampant, I've seen a breakout of it in the hospital Kennedy spent some time in. Here is a website with more info: http://www.apnisehat.com/diseases/staph%20infection.htm Most likely, they will treat it with antibiotics, sometimes I think they use stronger antibiotics than what you may have heard of/or used before. Keep us updated, hope she bounces back soon... Mom to Kennedy 3.5yr old CHARGEr, 12, 10, and wife to Graeme New Brunswick, Canada Visit the " Weir homepage " at: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/5716 ICQ #1426476 " staff infection " What is it and how do you get it? What do usually do for treatment? was just diagonsed with it and were curious to know!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 31, 2001 Report Share Posted October 31, 2001 Hi, Stapholycoccus Aureus other wise known as " Staph A " can be mild or serious. It is mild if it is a skin infection and can be lethal if it is in the blood and can cause septicaemia. Jack had Saph A in his blood last October following lithotripsy to blast his kidney stones. They hadn't given him antibiotic cover after the procedure and the litho had shook up the infected stones and released the infection into his blood. He developed the infection about 24-48hrs after litho and had a temp of 40.1and was vomiting. He had to have a 10 day course of IV gentimicin and flucloxicillin(sp?) which cleared it up thank goodness. He then continued on oral flucloxicillin for a further 2 weeks(i think). I hope everything is OK with and that she is better soon. Did they say what type of Staph infection she has and where it came from? What treatment is she on? Take care Elaine mum to Elise (9 yrs) & Jack (4 yrs)CHaRGE Dumfries,Scotland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2001 Report Share Posted November 1, 2001 Debbie, What a scary story! Does Devon have heart issues and if so did the infections have any adverse effects on his heart? Jack's heart wasn't affected by the Staph A as they got it quickly but I now realise that if it had been left for longer that it could have caused endocarditis. Take care Elaine mum to Elise (9 yrs) & Jack (4 yrs)CHaRGE Dumfries,Scotland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2001 Report Share Posted November 1, 2001 , Yes,you're right we do have to be extra vigilant with our kids. At the time when Jack had Staph A ,I didn't really realise how serious it was. It was only later on when we got home to Dumfries and his Paed was so shocked and concerned by it all that I realised that we could have lost him Needless to say,he always gets prophylactic antibiotic cover before and after lithotripsy now. Better safe than sorry!! Elaine mum to Elise (9 yrs) & Jack (4 yrs)CHaRGE Dumfries,Scotland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2001 Report Share Posted November 1, 2001 Hi People I have intimate knowledge of infections with Devon. In 1994, Devon had Staph and Strep... he was riding his bike (with helmet) and fell. He developed a small graze on his cheek. It was obvious he would have a black eye as it started to swell upwards. The next morning he had stomach flu like symptons. I took him to the doctor and was told he had the flu. Called the doctor later that day to say he was not better but seemed worse. She felt I was a little anxious due to the fact that Devon's baby sister was just born. (He was 5, she was 6 days) She said to wait till morning. By the next morning, we went to the hospital panicked. He was in kidney failure and was very very ill. Infectious diseases was called in and diagnosed him with the infections.... they (infections) love to live in blood filled tissues like hemotomas. This was terrible. The infection was so fast. It killed the skin under his right eye taking the fat and some of the muscle. He had to have a skin graph but they were able to save his lower lid. The next year, due to scar tissue developing, he had a have a full thickness skin graph on his lower lid. The doctors called this a cellulitus? It was terrifying how fast it moved. He went from being great to critically ill so fast. If any of the kids develop any kind of swelling, I get them to the hospital asap. I have a very healthy respect for Staph and Strep. It almost took Devon. He was 16 days in the hospital, had two surgeries (one for the graph and one to remove the stitches stitching the graph to his face) I had never seen a fresh skin graph before but this made my knees weak. It took years for his face to plump out under the graph. After the 10th day in the hospital, his staph/streph mutated and became immune to the medication they were using. We were quarenteened for a month after his release from hospital. I don't want to scare anyone with this email. We had a horrendous experiance with this infection. Try explaining to doctors that your son that can not hear and can not speak is hallucinating. I held him for two spinal taps and watched them prior open his lid to see if the infection had spread to the optic nerve and possibly the brain. I had gone through 11 surgeries with Devon before this but this was the most terrifying for me. Debbie (mom of Devon 12, Jillian 13, and Kaitlyn 7) Re: " staff infection " Hi, Stapholycoccus Aureus other wise known as " Staph A " can be mild or serious. It is mild if it is a skin infection and can be lethal if it is in the blood and can cause septicaemia. Jack had Saph A in his blood last October following lithotripsy to blast his kidney stones. They hadn't given him antibiotic cover after the procedure and the litho had shook up the infected stones and released the infection into his blood. He developed the infection about 24-48hrs after litho and had a temp of 40.1and was vomiting. He had to have a 10 day course of IV gentimicin and flucloxicillin(sp?) which cleared it up thank goodness. He then continued on oral flucloxicillin for a further 2 weeks(i think). I hope everything is OK with and that she is better soon. Did they say what type of Staph infection she has and where it came from? What treatment is she on? Take care Elaine mum to Elise (9 yrs) & Jack (4 yrs)CHaRGE Dumfries,Scotland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2001 Report Share Posted November 1, 2001 Debbie and Elaine, What terrifying stories. I'm so glad Devon and Jack are okay. Your warnings will be reminders of how things can change in an instant and that we need to really watch carefully when our kids get what seems like a minor injury or complication of surgery. Thanks for your care in writing this to help others identify symptoms if they should see them. Thank goodness they both are fine. Man, those are really scary stories. Mom to Kendra, and Camille At 10:40 PM 10/31/01 -0600, you wrote: >Hi People > >I have intimate knowledge of infections with Devon. > >In 1994, Devon had Staph and Strep... he was riding his bike (with helmet) >and fell. He developed a small graze on his cheek. It was obvious he >would have a black eye as it started to swell upwards. The next morning >he had stomach flu like symptons. I took him to the doctor and was told >he had the flu. Called the doctor later that day to say he was not better >but seemed worse. She felt I was a little anxious due to the fact that >Devon's baby sister was just born. (He was 5, she was 6 days) She said >to wait till morning. By the next morning, we went to the hospital >panicked. He was in kidney failure and was very very ill. Infectious >diseases was called in and diagnosed him with the infections.... they >(infections) love to live in blood filled tissues like hemotomas. This >was terrible. The infection was so fast. It killed the skin under his >right eye taking the fat and some of the muscle. He had to have a skin >graph but they were able to save his lower lid. The next year, due to >scar tissue developing, he had a have a full thickness skin graph on his >lower lid. > >The doctors called this a cellulitus? It was terrifying how fast it >moved. He went from being great to critically ill so fast. If any of the >kids develop any kind of swelling, I get them to the hospital asap. I >have a very healthy respect for Staph and Strep. It almost took >Devon. He was 16 days in the hospital, had two surgeries (one for the >graph and one to remove the stitches stitching the graph to his face) I >had never seen a fresh skin graph before but this made my knees weak. It >took years for his face to plump out under the graph. After the 10th >day in the hospital, his staph/streph mutated and became immune to the >medication they were using. We were quarenteened for a month after his >release from hospital. > >I don't want to scare anyone with this email. We had a horrendous >experiance with this infection. Try explaining to doctors that your son >that can not hear and can not speak is hallucinating. I held him for two >spinal taps and watched them prior open his lid to see if the infection >had spread to the optic nerve and possibly the brain. I had gone through >11 surgeries with Devon before this but this was the most terrifying for me. > >Debbie (mom of Devon 12, Jillian 13, and Kaitlyn 7) > > > > > > > > Re: " staff infection " > > > Hi, > Stapholycoccus Aureus other wise known as " Staph A " can be mild or > serious. > It is mild if it is a skin infection and can be lethal if it is in the > blood > and can cause septicaemia. > Jack had Saph A in his blood last October following lithotripsy to > blast his > kidney stones. They hadn't given him antibiotic cover after the > procedure and > the litho had shook up the infected stones and released the infection into > his blood. He developed the infection about 24-48hrs after litho and had a > temp of 40.1and was vomiting. > He had to have a 10 day course of IV gentimicin and flucloxicillin(sp?) > which > cleared it up thank goodness. He then continued on oral flucloxicillin > for a > further 2 weeks(i think). > I hope everything is OK with and that she is better soon. > Did they say what type of Staph infection she has and where it came from? > What treatment is she on? > Take care > > > Elaine mum to Elise (9 yrs) & Jack (4 yrs)CHaRGE > Dumfries,Scotland > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2001 Report Share Posted November 1, 2001 Hi Elaine Devon has pulmonary stenosis and a small septal defect. His heart was ok and there were no complications due to the infection. They began treatment with Clyndomycin (probably spelt that wrong). We were told this medication had side effects on the kidneys and ears. (devon was born with a grade IV and grade V renal reflux and hearing immpaired). After the infection mutated, they used Ventamicin and Rafampin (again, my spelling is probably off). We monitored his creatine and urea. He has completely recoved with no ill effects other than a brutal scar. The graph is extremely sensative to freezing (not great for our Saskatchewan winters) and sunburns. His donor site is on his butt and that gave us a fair bit of trouble as the site became thick and calloused. (We did silicon treatments to try to minimize the scarring) This was 7 years ago and he is doing very well now. The graph site is continuing to fill in. We worked alot with Devon regarding his scar as lots of ppl still notice it. (Some aren't so nice with their comments). Last night was Halloween and he loves it. Most people think he has done an elaborate make up job to create a scarred face. We simply laugh about it and take their compliments in the spirit they are meant. Debbie Re: " staff infection " Debbie, What a scary story! Does Devon have heart issues and if so did the infections have any adverse effects on his heart? Jack's heart wasn't affected by the Staph A as they got it quickly but I now realise that if it had been left for longer that it could have caused endocarditis. Take care Elaine mum to Elise (9 yrs) & Jack (4 yrs)CHaRGE Dumfries,Scotland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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