MRSA Notes

I remember *way back when* I was a teenager - we did all sorts of completely stupid things like carving our skin up with peace signs or band logos with knives. Yah, dumb stuff. This is the tale of a 14 yr old in Utah, playing the “ABC game,” where the kids see how long they can stand for their other friend to scratch the alphabet into their arm. Nice, eh? Can anyone think of what bacteria might be hanging out under said “friend’s” fingernails?

In this case, the girl received what’s known as necrotizing fasciitis - an infection in which toxins destroy skin and muscle - through a scratch on her hand. The infection can be deadly.

The girl received the bacteria last month, and has since undergone seven surgeries to remove tissue infected with the flesh-eating toxins.

At first, doctors were not sure the girl would survive and considered amputating her arm to keep it from spreading. Now, they don’t believe an amputation is necessary but say the arm will likely lose some functionality.

“Necrotizing fasciitis has a very high fatality rate that can approach as much as 60 percent,” said Nicholas Bird, medical director for hyperbaric medicine at Dixie Regional Medical Center. “If someone doesn’t die, they’re very likely to lose a limb or a part of a limb.” [source]

Mama’s, don’t let your babies grow up to be cutters. Or scratchers.

Infection Prevention, MRSA, MRSA in Children, MRSA in the U.S.

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