decent news about no MERSA (whatever that is)
That's *excellent* news. It's MRSA, which is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- it's one of the "super-bugs" that is rapidly becoming VERY common in hospitalized people. What makes it a "super-bug" is that this strain of Staph bacteria is resistant to most antibiotics; the reason that methicillin is singled out in its name is because methicillin used to be the last-resort big-gun antibiotic that would kill this strain of S. aureus. But, as the name indicates, now it's resistant to it.
There are other antibiotics that can work -- MRSA is not un-killable -- but the problem with MRSA is that, in people who are already sick, it can make things so much worse, since it's hard to kill.
Scary fact: most of us could be walking around having been exposed to MRSA and/or are carrying it, but because we're healthy, it's no big thing.
So, to sum up -- it's FANTASTIC that your dad doesn't have it!
MRSA is methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus,
a common bacterial infection in hospitals.
P-C, I love (and am not surprised) that we both italicized S. aureus. IJS.
t /pharmnerd
Yay! MERSA must have been her phone's autocorrect...
Surgeon was in, he's going to get my dad on the table on Monday to flush things out in there, I guess. Then they will discuss the GI problems.
Oh wait that guy in IT who lived in his van? Off the grid guy?
YES. He was so weird.
Walking a fine line between advice and unnecessary nervous-making, I believe MRSA is also very common on planes? So maybe shower between the airport and hospital.
{{{Nora}}} I'm so sorry. Tons of ~ma for your dad. I'm glad that you were able to figure out a way to visit him.
Nora - glad you're going to get to travel home and excellent news of no MRSA.
Seconding sumi's statement. That's got to be a huge relief for you, Nora.
For the record, smonster, those are not horrible things, just departments where troublesome cops on the Wire get stashed.(But it is pretty horrible the way the bosses give you what you don't want.)
Nora, no MRSA is very good, but yuck.
