[JBC77]

Resistant to antibiotics. Can infect the blood and bones within days. I just saw guys in bio-suits spraying down the Bucks locker room on Outside the Lines. This sh1t is no joke. Amputation, death.....make sure you put bandages on yourself or your kids if they get cut.

[JBC77]

Funny you should mention it. I believe they said five players from the Cleveland Browns have been infected in the last two years. The Browns declined to comment.

[Willie Bee]

It's the beginning of the end. I advise everyone to drink up and buy everything on credit in the coming days, the last we have in this life and on this earth.

Signs are all around us that this the end, or Armageddon as some are wont to call it, is near. Take Revelations 16:1, for example:

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth."

Some scholars interpret this as the seven Angels being Vladimir Guerrero, Chone Figgins, Garret Anderson, Howie Kendrick, Kendry Morales, Mike Napoli and Reggie Willits who batted a combined .180 in the recent ALDS against the demonic Red Sox. The seven Angels gave their all, but it just wasn't enough to turn back the Satan Sox.

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!"

Some believe this is a reference to the Colorado Rockies who have won seven straight postseason games, doing so with solid pitching despite playing in the thin air of Coors Field.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him.

Scholars have often been at odds as to just what this passage from Revelations means. But many believe it is the signal of the exact moment that Armageddon begins. 'Coming with the clouds' definitely points to today's weather in Cleveland, and 'the tribes' would seem to confirm that considering the Indians are battling those devilish Red Sox tonight.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

It's quite obvious that Revelations 2:29 is an instruction to all to pay close attention to the PA announcer this evening when he goes through the starting lineups.

Wake up, and keep the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God.

This passage probably has something to do with recycling our garbage and being more ecologically friendly to our earth. But hey, it's too late to go green now since the end is near. The eco theme is also repeated in Revelations 7:3 ("Don't harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees...")

They were given power not to kill them, but to torment them for five months.

Revelations 9:5 reverts to talking about the Colorado Rockies, how they tormented their fans for five months before finally waking up in September to cap their season with an amazing run.

They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like those of lions.

This passage, Revelations 9:8, is still being debated. Personally, I think it's a reference to my first wife, her mom and her sisters, though I could be wrong.

They didn't repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts.

Revelations 9:21 is an obvious reference to the current Bush Administration.

If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.

Skipping forward to Chapter 20, Verse 15, this refers to one of Satan's Red Sox batting out of order in tonight's game and being cast into Lake Erie which, as we all know did catch fire one time.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it

[ShamsWoof10]

Rev. 9:8 can refer to Mannie Ramerez too..

[Doc JS]

This is actually nothing new. We've been seeing a lot of CA-MRSA for the past couple of years. The problem is the increasing resistance to the antibiotics we've been treating it with. Now about the only thing that's killing the MRSA we're culturing is Septra/Bactrim - a sulfa based antibiotic. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people allergic to sulfa based antibiotics. There are IV antibiotics but those require hospitalization. There is one oral antibiotic that still doesn't have much resistance, but it's @ $1200 a day. This is a problem that is not going away any time soon.

[jon13009]

Scary stuff.

These super strains of bacteria have been around for decades.

The problem is that we are not developing new types of antibiotics fast enough because the drug companies don't want to. As a result the last resort medications that were supposed to stop these infections dead in their tracts (like vancomycin) don't, and we are not finding replacements for drugs line vancomycin fast enough.

Why? Profit.

It is more to the drug company's bottom line to develop high profit medications that lowers your blood pressure, reduces your cholesterol level, maintains the glucose level of non-insulin dependent diabetics and provide erectile dysfunction pills than shell out potentially billions of dollars for research and development to combat strains of bacteria that may affect less than 2% of their potential customers.

Besides there are too many diseases catching the public eye (and wallets) that we have yet to find solutions to: Cancer, AIDS, Alzheimers, ALS....

It is inevitable that infectious strains of bacteria would eventually evolve and mutate to counteract what we throw at them.

Why did these infections occur in the locker rooms of these athletes? Likely due to the decades of over prescription of antibiotics by well meaning doctors, and the failure of some athletes (and many other similar patients) to continue the course of those medications once they felt better.

As a result, the remaining strains of staph in that athlete's body were allowed to mutate to a form that is resistant to all types of known antibiotics, and in a close quartered locker room, that infection is easy to spread.

Clean, disinfect and cover all open wounds. If it gets infected see your doctor, and hope he knows is the proper course of treatment. If your doctor tells you to take antibiotics - ask why did he come to the conclusion that it is this strain (or strains) of bacteria and why is it necessary to use antibiotics at this point. If your doctor doesn't want to answer your questions, find another doctor.

Finally, finish the course of the antibiotic treatment your doctor prescribes - even if you feel better after 2 or three days - otherwise the strain(s) of bacteria that drug was designed to stop could mutate into a highly resistant one.

[Doc JS]

If idiots would stop pumping themselves (and their kids!) full of antibiotics everytime they get a sniffle, then maybe when their body actually NEEDS antibiotics to fight something significant then they might work - but thanks to insurance companies & malpractice suits, don't expect that to happen anytime soon.

There is no question that antibiotics have been overused and that has contributed to this problem of resistance.

[punchmaster]

This is actually nothing new. We've been seeing a lot of CA-MRSA for the past couple of years. The problem is the increasing resistance to the antibiotics we've been treating it with. Now about the only thing that's killing the MRSA we're culturing is Septra/Bactrim - a sulfa based antibiotic. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people allergic to sulfa based antibiotics. There are IV antibiotics but those require hospitalization. There is one oral antibiotic that still doesn't have much resistance, but it's @ $1200 a day. This is a problem that is not going away any time soon.

you know what your talking about because I've hard first hand experience with some of these staph infections, and it was a sulfur based antibiotic that a sharp doctor in Salem, Oregon gave me that did the trick after some not so sharp doctors here in Vegas had me bouncing around for a while.

[Doc JS]

Scary stuff.

These super strains of bacteria have been around for decades.

The problem is that we are not developing new types of antibiotics fast enough because the drug companies don't want to. As a result the last resort medications that were supposed to stop these infections dead in their tracts (like vancomycin) don't, and we are not finding replacements for drugs line vancomycin fast enough.

Why? Profit.

It is more to the drug company's bottom line to develop high profit medications that lowers your blood pressure, reduces your cholesterol level, maintains the glucose level of non-insulin dependent diabetics and provide erectile dysfunction pills than shell out potentially billions of dollars for research and development to combat strains of bacteria that may affect less than 2% of their potential customers.

Besides there are too many diseases catching the public eye (and wallets) that we have yet to find solutions to: Cancer, AIDS, Alzheimers, ALS....

It is inevitable that infections strains of bacteria would eventually evolve and mutate to counteract what we throw at them.

Why did these infections occur in the locker rooms of these athletes? Likely due to the decades of over prescription of antibiotics by well meaning doctors, and the failure of some athletes (and many other similar patients) to continue the course of those medications once they felt better.

As a result, the remaining strains of staph in that athlete's body were allowed to mutate to a form that is resistant to all types of known antibiotics, and in a close quartered locker room, that infection is easy to spread.

Clean, disinfect and cover all open wounds. If it gets infected see your doctor, and hope he knows is the proper course of treatment. If your doctor tells you to take antibiotics - ask why did he come to the conclusion that it is this strain of bacteria or why is it necessary to use a wide spectrum antibiotic. If your doctor doesn't want to answer your questions, find another doctor.

Finally, finish the course of the antibiotic treatment your doctor prescribes - even if you feel better after 2 or three days - otherwise the strain of bacteria that drug was designed to stop could mutate into a highly resistant one.

jon,

Lots of good stuff in your post.

Every day I see patients who have already started themselves on the antibiotics they had left over from their last course.

They KNOW that they shouldn't do that.

They KNOW they should have finished their antibiotics from the previous. But they stop taking their antibiotics just as soon as they feel better.

Pretty interesting stat:
50% of the people that see their doctor don't fill their Rx's.
50% of the people who fill their Rx's don't take them as perscribed.
So, a grand total of about 25% of the patients fill their Rx's and take them as perscribed.
That never ceases to amaze me, but after 20+ years, I've sorta grown accustomed to it!

[jon13009]

Doc, I think we both know how and why these medications work - if they are used properly by both physician and patient.

Most people here do not (and probably would not) want to know what the normal flora of our epidermis and respiratory tract consists of, and the real problem occurs when these organisms get into the wrong places (namely the blood stream.)

It is scary that the real people who direct the battle against MRSA and other resistant strains of bacteria are more profit minded in their outlook, because when the time comes that we really need something to stop a highly resistant strain of bacterium, it will be too late.

Thankfully bacterium are not as highly mobile as viral infections (eg. SARS). Considering the course of treatment of viral infections versus bacterial infection, I am sure you understand the real potential of catastrophic pandemic spread of viral disease versus the more regional nature of bacterial ones (eg cholera...).

Whoops, sorry, I though this was a gambling forum.....

[ralquis]

does it affect the line?

[moneyplays]

Make sure to take your vitamins everyday. I take vitamin C daily and try and drink lots of water. I can't say its the cure-all but I really believe it has helped me stay healthy especially during the winter months. I get sinus infections at least twice a year.

[ralquis]

increase your dose, gets rid of sinus infections almost altogether, havent had a bad one in 5 years

[ShamsWoof10]

Doc. you say it's because we over use antibiotics but in my opinion I think that is 5% of the problem... We over use all meds. in general... The everyday person now as compared to 20 years ago has so much sh*t in the med. cabinet it's unreal... I see people who get a headache start poppin' pills right away... Deal with it unless it's a migrane.. I have friends that are pharmacits my x included and they agree that 90% of what is given out is really not needed... I tell them though....if it wasn't given out how much do you think you would make a year...? Not a 100K I know that..

If you combine this with the everyday persons laziness that drives around forever looking for the closet spot to park because they can't walk much less workout and take care of their body then how can we expect a healthy society...

In my opinion the fault lies in our enviorment, our medical system, and our laziness...

[ShamsWoof10]

Shams, it's amazing how we seemingly agree so wholeheartedly on everything NOT involving sports betting or booking, but we violently disagree on almost everything in that arena.

Interesting dynamic.

Thanks Drunken appreciate the words... What is actually funny about this whole thing is we as a society are doing it to ourselves or each other...

You know what I always wondered... the entire medical profession knows this... It's not like it's a secret but let's say for the sake of argument that somehow the companies all got together and said "ok we are going to do certain things which will bring about a more healthy society.".. This sounds great but now with less demand, sales, and profit companies are forced to cut pay in the medical profession by 75%... Instead of the pharmacist making 100K they know only make 25K....

I wonder if doctors/nurses/pharmacists/etc. would say... "F*CK society I want my bones" or ..."it's ok I'll deal with it if it helps the health of society."...

BrentCrude's K Economic theory.. digging for holes just to keep busy...just another example..