SUPERBUGS AT UCLA MAKE THE NEWS

superbug1Resistant bacteria are constantly emerging in the real world.   In the hospital, the pressures that broad-spectrum antibiotics apply to bacteria reproduction makes the bacteria ripe to respond with novel and aggressive resistance strategies.

The recent UCLA Reagan Medical Center scare has brought this issue to light.  This highly resistant germ, is called a CRE infections, which stands for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.  These are a type of bacgerial germ found essentially only in the hospital, they are ‘super bacteria’ that develop from normal intestinal flora, which develops ‘super powers of resistance’ with constant exposure to varying antibiotics.   These germs  can be transmitted to patients through the touch of contaminated persons, surfaces, or instruments, as was the case at UCLA.  It was an endoscope, a instrument for looking in the esophagus and stomach, that transmitted the infection.

What can you do to prevent yourself from getting exposed to super-bugs.

  • Stay out of the hospital when you can.
  • Avoid using antibiotics unless necessary
  • Avoid unnecessary invasive procedures.

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