Antibiotic Resistant Staph Infections In Los?

[jaideeguy]

A visiting friend got into a motorcycle accident ane her ankle ended up getting a deep cut by barbed wire, so she was taken to the local ampohr hospital [Doi Saket], where they simply cleaned it up and sewed it closed and gave her antibiotics.

The swelling and inflimation got worse and I suggested that she go to a private hospital where they cut the stitches and opened it up to heal from inside before closing [standard procedure with deep cuts in extremities, i learned later]. They admitted her and started her on an IV drip antibiotic and is improving slowly after a week. So far, she has been on 4 or 5 antibiotics with no dramatic results.

A week later, I'm wondering if she got the infection in the hospital or was it from the original cut, or the fact that the local hospital closed the wound??

has anyone heard of antibiotic resistant strains of staph infections here??

[Comehome]

Havn't heard so much about it but I know antibiotic resistanc TBE (tuberkulos) is very common in Thailand.

It doesn't surprise me that the resistant straph is here too.

I think it has to do with the overuse of antibiotics, amongst other things of course.

Doctors in Thailand are very quick to prescribe antibiotics as a cure for most anything and even to young children.

There are lots of reports about the antibiotic resistant strain/straph on the internet. Can't find any that is really up to date but I found one that says they have found a new strain that is even more resistant and it is more rapidly spread than before.

That strain is for some reason found most with gay and bisexual men according to the report.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.p...toryId=18086925

I hope your friend gets some good help with the infection and that it heals good.

Take care

Comehome

[cmsally]

I hope she got a tetanus shot too!

[uhuh]

very common

Infected wounds of western tourists very often respond very poorly to the first-line antibiotics used by Thai hospitals (usually Cloxacillin).

I recommend to go to a good hospital that has experience treating Westerners. Unfortunately, there is no good hospital in Chiang Mai. I would try Ram or Lanna or Special Medical center (of Suan Dawk).

4 or 5 different antibiotics is a lot (if it is true)

[IMA_FARANG]

Havn't heard so much about it but I know antibiotic resistanc TBE (tuberkulos) is very common in Thailand.

It doesn't surprise me that the resistant straph is here too.

I think it has to do with the overuse of antibiotics, amongst other things of course.

Doctors in Thailand are very quick to prescribe antibiotics as a cure for most anything and even to young children.

There are lots of reports about the antibiotic resistant strain/straph on the internet. Can't find any that is really up to date but I found one that says they have found a new strain that is even more resistant and it is more rapidly spread than before.

That strain is for some reason found most with gay and bisexual men according to the report.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.p...toryId=18086925

I hope your friend gets some good help with the infection and that it heals good.

Take care

Comehome

Antibotic staph infections are the "dirty little secret" about hospitals.

I don't know about Thailand per se.

It's becoming very common in hospitals in the U.S. and now in Europe.

So I guess it's a only a matter of time before it gets to Thailand if it's not already there.

ONe of the reason, although not the only one, is the misuse of antibiotics by the public. When I was young, if I got a cold, my mother would give some over the counter cold remedy and also an antibiotic with it.

I'm guessing here most people on this particular forum understand that antibiotics are only effective against infections and such, and that colds and flu are caused by a virus which the antibiotic is ineffective against. So never take an antibiotic to treat your flu or cold.

Another bad habit is to use those so-called super bathroom/kitchen/floor or whatever cleaners with antibotics in them.

At the level of killing you get against the germs in your kitchen for example by washing down the kitchen counter all you do at best is kill a small pecentage of the weakest bacteria. The hardy ones, like the antibiotic resistant ones survive. Many of the kitchen cleaners contain some compound in them that breaks down in the air and release a nice smelling odor, so your kitchen smells clean to you. Within 30 minutes the bacteria left will have repopulated the kitchen, and the bacterial load will be just as much as before. Only this time, it will be the stronger ones (again the drug resistant ones).

Anyhow, I think I'm talking to long here.

Bye.

Edited October 26, 2008 by IMA_FARANG

[jaideeguy]

Just a update with my friend in the hospital [ram2].....inflamation has reduced and new antibiotics seem to be working as well as the dr's approach of leaving the wound open to heal from the inside. She is flying back in 2 days and dr will release her tomorrow after putting in a couple of sutures to keep it in place for travel. She has an appointment with a western dr upon arrival and it will be interesting to hear his read of the situation.

one lesson learned....beware of the local ampohr hospitals except for extreme emergencies and get out asap into a private hospital!!!

ps, she did get a tetanus shot altho she had one before comming......

[Comehome]

IMA_FARANG:

Yes the antibiotic is only affective on symtoms caused by bacteria, not virus infections.

Antibiotics "cleans out" all the bacteria, even the "good and healthy bacteria" onces. Afterwards it leaves the body imbalanced by its "cleansweep" and the immune system is therefor also even more receptive to new incetions than it was earlier.

Since it is disturbing the natural bacteriabalance, many men and women get fungal infections from antibiotics.

Women often get fungal infections in their intimate parts which makes them aware of it quite easy, while men can have symtoms like, dandruff that never goes away or a rash in the skin or a sudden change of pigmentation in the skin. (yep, that is often caused by fungal infections)

What they all have in common is that it is itching a lot.

Interesting news about cleaning the kitchen!!!

Will remember that!

/comehome

[Comehome]

jaideeguy:

Nice to hear that your friend is better!

Hope she will have a good journey home.

/comehome

[Sheryl]

What is decribed here is pretty clearly a bacterial wound infection, not viral.

Can't say if hospital acquired or not nor if it was resistant staph or not, altho staph is a very frequent culprit in wound infections since it is normally present on the skin.

The key thing with an infection is to obtain a culture and sensitivity so that the right antibiotic is given. Ideally should be done at the very start (altho OK to start a braod spectrum antibiotic in the meantime since takes 48-72 hours to get lab results); in practice it is common to skip it and just give an antibiotic likely to cover the most commonly responsible organisms. As an intitial measure and provided it is a mild infection that's (IMO) OK, but in serious infections/infections that do not respond to initial antibiotics then cutlure is essential and should be insisted upon. Thai hospitals often fall short at this stage, in stead resorting to shot-gun multiple drug therapy.

Amphur hospitals do not have culture capabilities, only provincial hospitals. All the main private hospitals in urban areas should have.

This is one of those points one often has to specifically ask about/insist on.