How to stop Staph Infections?

Question

I know that it is very important for the doctor and health team to wash their hands.....You?


WebMD has a good video on how to stop staph infections, if you are interested:
http://www.webmd.com/video/preventing-staph-infections?ecd=wnl_day_102007

Answer 1

I've always been conscious of the scare of Staph in hospitals.
But I've noticed that most attendemts to patients do wear rubber gloves now. And that's a good thing. I even saw a
nurse put on gloves before giving me a lotion rub on my legs
during a recent hospital stay. So that was a healthy
measure on her part. I even mention to my care provider, if I
notice she didn't wash her hands before wanting to touch me.
Or after touching me, and headed for the door, that she forgot something. You can't be too careful anymore. And true, you can use all of the sterile applications and be fairly germ free, but overdoing has seen an increase in resistance to bacteria now.
I was given the knowlege two days ago, that Iodine is a
solid killer to germs. And instead of using Neosporin, go
back to Iodine, for it kills every germ it comes into contact
with. Tho it always stung on me, when I was little. I remember
how my mother would have to blow on the area after applying
it to a scrape. It never failed to burn a little.

Answer 2

My younger sister had staph over 40 years ago. She was only about 10 years old. It was during the summer, we have a river cottage. We thought she had been scratching mosquito bites. They were red and full of pus. She developed a fever and became very weak. Mama took her to a Dr. She had Staph. We had to clean up everything. We couldn't walk barefoot where she had been. When she had her first Child by C-section, my sister also developed a staph infection in the incision. She was isolated from her baby for almost a week! I think once you catch the bug, you are more susceptible to it.

Answer 3

You can take all the precautions in the world, and still get dangerous Staph infections...anytime the skin is broken, there is that danger...and one danger is really serious...spider bites!
In the past 6 months, I have had two friends call me asking what the world is going on...both described what sounded like spider bites to me. Not just any spider, but Brown Recluse spiders...both at waist bands, under clothes.
Neither listened to my advice to go to a doctor. Both ended up with very serious Staph infections that grew very quickly into 1st stage boil with red streaks developing (sure sign of spreading, un-contained infection. Both had to undergo Cipro for 10 days (I advised eating yogurt twice a day to avoid Thrush), and one had to have the infection lanced with iodoform gauze..painful, nasty treatment.
There are highly drug resistant strains of Staph that are necrotic, and can easily become septicemic...meaning...deadly within hours! Never take a Staph infection lightly!
Staph is all about us, normally not dangerous except if skin is broken or as food poisoning...it is on all surfaces, dust, our skin is covered with it. And, keeping kitchens/floors "sterilized" is not always a good thing..there is growing evidence that too sterile surroundings is leading to increased asthma in children (not that any of us are having more children...I hope at any rate). Goldwing

Answer 4

30% of the population are carriers of Golden Staph. However most infections of Golden Staph are much worse than pimples on the skin. I would suggest you see a dermatologist for an accurate diagnosis.

Answer 5

1- Always wash your hands!!!!
2- Don't go in the hospital!! More people die of Staph infections in the hospital than the reason they were in there in the first place.

Answer 6

Cleanliness is, and always has been in keeping with good health practices. Medical, Food preparation, Barbers etc. and any public service would have more emphasis that should be directed in this direction. There is no cure all though. Will save myself some typing and let Goldwings posting complete my comments.

Answer 7

The video you linked to is a great find, Kayboff!

I noticed one thing in the video that I'd change: the part where the doctor was washing his hands before touching the patient in the hospital bed.....the doctor was wearing a long sleeved lab coat. Long sleeves are ok when wearing garmets that are changed between each patient, like surgical gowns or the infection control gowns with elastic ends on the sleeves. However, wearing a long sleeved lab coat when going from patient to patient makes it tougher to wash your hands...;)

Answer 8

Very scarey world we live in. I would not go to the hospital unless I was dying. It is just very frightening to me how many people get this infection every day in a place where we are supposed to get well.

Answer 9

I will add my 2 cents here. Keep yourself healthy! You will be more susceptible to any type of infection if you are run down. Eat healthy foods, get plenty of rest a little exercise, try to avoid stress. Stress weakens your immune system.

Answer 10

Good morning! Washing your hands, keeping your bathrooms/shower stalls/bathtub very clean. Keeping your kitchen area - countertops, etc., clean. Mopping your floors and keeping them clean. Treating minor cuts and abrasions quickly. :D