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Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Alarms Doctors
Margo Myers
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Anchor
UPDATED: 4:33 pm PDT May 11, 2006
It's the health threat you haven't heard about.
While bird flu is getting plenty of attention, doctors are increasingly worried about a new bacteria that's already here -- and in some cases, is proving deadly.
They're anti-biotic resistant staph infections that once were found mainly in just hospitals. But now you can catch it anywhere.
32-year-old Conal Groom is an Olympic-class rower who landed in the hospital in early February with a sharp pain. "I couldn't move my neck. (I) felt like I had a high temperature, just felt miserable," he said.
More than two months later, Groom is just getting back onto the water.
Video: Doctors Concerned About Antibiotic-Resistant Infection
Doctors diagnosed his pain as an antibiotic resistant staph infection known as methillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA.
"I was surprised, shocked and not 100 percent sure they were right," Groom said.
Doctors were right.
It infected his spine, lungs and chest.
Groom went from training about five hours a day to lying in a hospital bed, worried about his health -- even his life.
Two surgeries later, he still had to have five weeks of IV antibiotics and is now on another three months of oral antibiotics to kill the infection.
Where'd he pick it up?
"I'm not sure," he said.
It used to be that people picked up antibiotic-resistant staph infections mainly in hospitals.
In the past couple of years, that's changed.
"In fact, if you look at new cases of MRSA, overwhelming majority of cases coming in from the community into the hospital as opposed to other way around," said Dr. Tim Dellit, an infectious disease specialist at Harborview Medical Center.
He says the number of cases contracted in the community -- for example, in gyms, among athletic teams, inside jails, or nursing homes -- is up 50 to 60 percent in the past couple of years.
The frightening part?
"In fact, we face patients who have infections that we have no antibiotic options to treat them," Dellit said.
Our area has seen several cases of necrotizing fasciitis, the so-called "flesh eating disease." It's generally caused by strep bacteria. But there is evidence MRSA might also be a cause in some cases.
The disease is difficult to treat, often fatal.
In March of this year, 52-year-old Julie Tietel, from Federal Way cut her leg shaving, went to the hospital, but was sent home.
She died two days later.
Last month, 47-year-old Edward Kopfman, from Kirkland was first diagnosed with shingles.
A week later, the bacteria moved so quickly -- in spite of surgery -- doctors couldn't save him.
Now some hospitals automatically treat skin infections as MRSA until tests prove otherwise to keep infections from spreading.
"There's not any way to tell who's at risk (and) who's not at risk, so we just need to assume that when people come in with infections, it could be this strain," said Dr. John Pauk, Director of Infectious Disease at Swedish Medical Center.
As for Conal Groom, he still hopes to make the Olympics in 2008, but training this season is over.
"This season is written off," Groom said. "I'd be happy if I could start my fulltime training program in September."
Why the big jump in community acquired staph infections?
Dr. Dellit believes much of it's due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
To help protect yourself -- doctors can't stress it enough -- wash your hands often with soap and water.
And if you have a cut or pimple or something that looks like a spider bite that doesn't heal get to your doctor right away to have it checked.
Copyright 2006 by KIROTV.com.
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