DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Yet another staph infection.......

Can we at least go a year without a staph infection?
At least this one doesn't seem to be serious.

http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/04/cleveland_browns_receiver_jure.html

Browns receiver Joe Jurevicius suffered a staph infection several weeks after undergoing knee surgery in January, but is recovering well, sources close to the situation said Thursday.

Jurevicius, an 11th-year pro and Cleveland-area native, is expected to participate in organized team activities in May and the minicamp in June, sources said.

Jurevicius underwent what the Browns described after the season as a clean-up on the knee at the Cleveland Clinic. He then contracted the infection in the knee about two weeks later when he was on his way out to his hunting ranch in Nebraska, sources said.

Jurevicius underwent at least one procedure to have the infection cleaned out, but may have had more, the sources said.

Jurevicius is the fifth known Browns player to suffer a staph infection since June 2005 and the sixth in the past four years. The others are center LeCharles Bentley, tight end Kellen Winslow, receiver Braylon Edwards and two former Browns -- safety Brian Russell and linebacker Ben Taylor.

Infection-control officials from the Clinic visited the Browns' facility in October 2005 and July 2006 for basic prevention purposes. The Browns also had their facility treated last year with a special anti-staph agent and are vigilant about taking precautions.

One source said that because Jurevicius contracted the infection a full two weeks after the surgery, he could've picked it up anywhere. His was not believed to be as serious as Bentley's, which became potentially limb- and life-threatening and required emergency surgery.

Bentley is still trying to return from complications from the staph infection that required three additional surgeries following the reconstruction of his torn patella tendon in July of 2006.

Jurevicius, the Browns No. 2 receiver last year, asked Browns General Manager Phil Savage after the season to find a new No. 2 for 2008 because of the wear and tear on his knee last season. Savage did just that, signing former Patriots receiver Donte Stallworth as an unrestricted free agent. Jurevicius is expected to be the No. 3 receiver this year.

At the end of last season, Jurevicius also said that 2008 might be his last season despite the fact he has another year on his contract.

My gosh. I know that staph has some realy resistant strains, but this is getting out of control!

I do wonder how well the players take care of the cut after they are operated on though too.

not sure what to say... just glad it isn't our other Joe..

Not surprising. Bacteria is becoming more and more resistant with time, misuse and over prescription of antibiotics, and a combination of poor hospital/personal cleanliness.

We see lots of staph infections in people, a lot of which never started from surgeries at all, but form abscesses in the body somewhere for whatever reason.

Hospitals need to be cleaner and stricter on things. When beds get tight, I know they tend to place patients in with post-surgical patients that they shouldn't for roommates. I also have complained many times about the poor job housekeeping does in rooms. These rooms need to be cleaned thoroughly, and I think housekeeping has so much to do, they seem to do a half-ass job so they can go onto their next room. Something they can't afford to do.

I argue with supervision a lot on the placement of patients on the unit I run. They don't care, they just want to place patients to get their job done, and instead they place someone with a cellulitis (skin infection) in with someone who just had surgery. Which is a no-no. (just for an example)

Hopefully things like this aren't the problems we're hearing about at the Clinic.

Didn't we manage to skip last year without one, or am I delusional?

Get well soon, Joe!

Quote:

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Didn't we manage to skip last year without one, or am I delusional?

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No, we had Bentley get one last year..

What's odd to me about this is that I can't remember anyone I ever knew getting a staph infection. Ever. Yet these guys, under tough scrutiny and professional control aimed at just this particular infection, get them way too often.

I do understand that hospitals are breeding grounds for all sorts of infection due to the very business they're in. But dang, our guys certainly get more than their share of this.

You know what, you may be right,,,,

I had heard about this a couple of months ago but didn't post because it was a "close family friend" who posted it, initially, on the OBR. I'd hoped the guy was just pulling a rumor out his butt. Obviously not.

I remember thinking, hey we got through the year without a staph infection.

Read my post.

It's a lot more common than the average person realizes. I see it all the time.

The difference is that nobody hears about the every day Joe who gets it.

Yup yup.

I don't have the time to keep up with things,but I'm wondering how many teams have had this many players infected.It just seems to me to be a much too common occurence when a Brown's player has surgery.

Post deleted by Referee1

so what do you really think?

And this time don't hold back!

Quote:

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One source said that because Jurevicius contracted the infection a full two weeks after the surgery, he could've picked it up anywhere. His was not believed to be as serious as Bentley's, which became potentially limb- and life-threatening and required emergency surgery.

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I'm obviously no expert, but I was under the impression the infection manifests itself fairly quickly. My friend got a pretty serious one after her C-section and they were aware of it within 24 hours. It was a battle, but they cleared it up in about a week. It's entirely possible Joe didn't get infected at the clinic.

Reputations are sometimes not earned.
I've had three friends go there,two of them left in a hearst,the other was sent home to die with some dignity.
I've made it very plain to my next of kin,under no uncertain terms will I be sent there.
I'd rather take my chances with foriegn speaking hacks in Y-town.

I suppose so. I am just tired of operations at the Clinic manifesting into staph infections.


Too much PR explaining why it could happen and not enough prevention IMO.

You can get staph infection from a simple scratch

Uhhh, he could have picked up a bug at home. It's HIS job to care of it.

Post Op doesn't have to mean exclusively at the hospital.

That said, with the recent problems concerning the Browns and staph infections, you would think the Clinic would have worked extra hard to see this didn't happen.


But you are right.. maybe Joe and his wife are simple and just decided not taking prescribed medications and washing with a good soap and water aren't important.

It does seems like an inordinate amount, especially where our players are concerned.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have heard and read that two of the reasons for so many infections these days are (1.) indiscriminate use of antibiotics and (2) modern hygiene that is too effective. People go to the doctor every time they get a cold and get an RX for antibiotics which, although they don't treat colds, serve to destroy useful bacteria in our bodies that are not powerful enough to infect but DO serve to increase our body's ability to fight off stronger bacterial infections by increasing our natural immunity. By modern hygiene that's too effective I mean the use of antibacterial soaps on our skin and the constant spraying and cleaning of household surfaces, both of which reduce our exposure to friendly (weak) bacteria and thereby reduces our body's ability to form immunities to the stronger, more harmful bacteria (like staph) when we are exposed to it - and it (staph) is everywhere.

Natural selection will be the death of us all

Just clicking to add information concerning staph...

web page

From the link above, I clicked on "causes"...

Causes
Staph bacteria can cause illness in two ways: through direct infection, which happens in most staph-related skin disorders, and through toxins that the bacteria produce. These toxins are to blame for food poisoning, toxic shock syndrome, and some serious MRSA and CA-MRSA infections. Here's how the bacteria can breach your body's defenses:

Skin infections. Most skin infections develop when staph bacteria enter your body through a cut or other break in your skin. Having eczema, psoriasis, irritation after shaving, or any condition that makes your skin more fragile and sensitive ups your risk of infection. The invading bacteria may already be present on your skin, or you may come in contact with them in the environment.
Food poisoning. Staph bacteria thrive in foods that are improperly handled or stored, especially potato, egg, tuna and chicken salads, cream-filled pastries and pies, mayonnaise-based salad dressings, cream sauces, and custards. Staph grows best at room temperature, so refrigerating high-risk foods is key.
Toxic shock syndrome. In 1980, this often-fatal infection was linked to the use of superabsorbent tampons. The tampons themselves may be a breeding ground for bacteria, or they may irritate your vagina, making it possible for bacteria to enter your bloodstream. But toxic shock can occur for other reasons and can also affect men and children.
Septic arthritis. Staph bacteria usually spread to a joint from an infection in another part of your body. Having rheumatoid arthritis increases your risk because arthritis drugs suppress your immune system and so increase the likelihood of infection.
MRSA. This form of staph first emerged in hospitals, and it remains a growing threat in health care facilities worldwide. In 1974, MRSA accounted for only 2 percent of all staph infections. Thirty years later, 60 percent of staph infections were drug resistant. Part of the increase is the result of staph's own survival tactics, including the ability to swap genes with other bacteria. But most of the blame lies with the overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals. Because antibiotics are so widespread in the environment, including in meat and municipal water supplies, germs have many opportunities to become resistant to them. In hospitals and nursing homes, MRSA can spread on the hands of health care workers and on many surfaces, including bedrails, catheters, cart handles — even remote controls.
CA-MRSA. MRSA was confined to health care settings until the late 1990s, when four previously healthy children in the U.S. Midwest died suddenly of MRSA infections. It's likely that what is now called community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) entered the wider world in the nostrils of people who picked up the bacteria in hospitals.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that millions of people now carry CA-MSRA in their noses. Carriers may not be sick, but they can spread the infection and run the risk of becoming ill themselves. The bacteria spread mainly through skin-to-skin contact and through small cuts and abrasions. Overcrowding and poor hygiene also encourage the spread of staph. Once CA-MRSA enters your body, it causes boils and abscesses and, like hospital strains, sometimes sparks massive infections in your bone, blood or lungs. Researchers now think that community strains cause even more severe disease than hospital strains do.
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I've decided to add "risk factors" ...

Risk factors
Anyone can pick up a staph infection, but MRSA and CA-MRSA target specific populations. Risk factors for hospital-acquired MRSA include:

A current or recent hospitalization. Despite attempts to eradicate it, MRSA remains widespread in hospitals, where it attacks the most vulnerable — older adults and people with weakened immune systems, burns, surgical wounds or serious underlying health problems such as diabetes.
Residing in a long term care facility. MRSA is more prevalent in these facilities than it is in hospitals. Most people admitted to a care facility are likely to carry MRSA and have the ability to spread it, even if they're not sick themselves.
Invasive devices. People who are on dialysis, are catheterized or have feeding tubes are at especially high risk because the bacteria can easily enter the body through these devices.
These are the main risk factors for CA-MRSA:

Young age. CA-MRSA can be particularly deadly in children, sometimes ravaging their bodies in a matter of hours. The bacteria usually enter through a cut or scrape but can quickly cause a massive systemic infection. Children and young adults are also much more likely to develop necrotizing pneumonia than older people are. Children may be susceptible because their immune systems aren't fully developed, or they don't yet have antibodies to common germs.
Participating in contact sports. CA-MRSA has crept into both amateur and professional sports teams. The bacteria spread easily through cuts and abrasions and skin-to-skin contact.
Sharing towels or athletic equipment. Although few outbreaks have been reported in public gyms, CA-MRSA has spread among amateur and professional athletes who share razors, towels, uniforms or equipment.
Having a weakened immune system. People with weakened immune systems, including those living with HIV/AIDS, are more likely to have severe CA-MRSA infections.
Living in crowded or unsanitary conditions. Outbreaks of CA-MRSA have occurred in military training camps and in some American and European prisons, killing inmates and infecting guards and other staff.
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There is much more information on this website...time we all educate ourselves as we try to answer our many questions...mac

That's pretty much what I wrote above earlier.


People get a stuffy nose and a cough and run to the doctor's to get some antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics is helping to make these germs resistant. Doctors are at fault as well because they give in and prescribe what the patient's want.

Then you have people who get an antibiotic and don't finish the prescription off. Which will possibly do 2 things:

1. Not completely kill off the infection, and you'll end up getting it back and possibly worse, and

2. Not completely killing off the bacteria and possibly causing it to grow resistant to the antibiotic.


Another problem is people taking other people's antibiotics inappropriately. Someone feels sick, so they go into the cabinet and take someone's prescription that they were SUPPOSED to finish off, but didn't and now it's just sitting there. First off, different antibiotics work on different infections. So it's possibly the completely wrong antibiotic to begin with, which will be ineffective, and even if it's the correct antibiotic, it's not a complete prescription. So therefore you're not taking it long enough to effectively kill off the infection, which can make it come back stronger or even resistant.


And the biggest one of all is washing your hands. I walk into public restrooms and guarantee you that I count more guys who DON'T wash their hands than do. Which is disgusting.


So, to sum it up:

-Wash your hands
-Don't run to the doctor for antibiotics if you start to sniffle
-Finish your prescriptions
-Don't take someone else's antibiotics

We could save a lot of problems if people AND doctors follow these rules.

Great post dawg!!!

I constantly wash my hands... especially because I work at a hospital... and I ALWAYS wash when I use the rest room - I hate people who just run their hands under water... so they are basically giving water to the bacteria haha... way to go!

And thankfully I've only had to take antibiotics once and that was for a MRSA infection that I couldn't get ride of with vitamins and fluids... thankfully I was only one antiobiotics for a short period.

Thanks Jay

I ran into this problem this week actually.

I have a bad case of bronchitis and pharyngitis and have been off of work a week. I refused to go to the docs because I figured it was a virus, and my body will just have to fight it off. Well after 4 straight days of a high fever with no end in site, and chest pain that felt like someone was taking a cheese grater to the inside of my chest, I had to give in and go.

I didn't have something viral, so the antibiotic was appropriate and very needed. I started feeling better by the next day, and I'm going to try to get back to work tomorrow. I just didn't want to go and start an antibiotic if I didn't need to.

I had to say something to my mother-in-law over Christmas over this same issue. The Friday before Christmas weekend, she ran to the doctors because she started to get stuffed up, and was afraid to get sick over the long weekend and wanted to get an antibiotic. And her stupid doctor gave her a Z-Pak anyways. She was fine the next day and didn't bother taking anymore, which is such a waste. Big example right there of needlessly going to the docs, and a doctor just being stupid and giving patients what they want.

I think compared to the general population, it's probably close to the norm.

Whether or not it's on par with the league, I don't know. We don't hear many reports of staph infections across the NFL, but it seems like once a player in Cleveland has one, it gets leaked out quickly.


If I remember correctly, Russell and Edward's staph infections weren't surgery related at all. Edward's was on his arm if I'm correct, and where was Russell's? I know he didn't have surgery, at least I'm almost positive. So those 2 wouldn't had anything to do with the Clinic. That could have come from anywhere.

A lot of the population are carriers of staph MRSA in their nasal passages.

Russell's was on his elbow. Not sure of the cause, but I don't recall him having any sort of surgery other than that to remove the infection. Edwards got it in his arm, from turf burns I believe.

I just briefly skimmed some articles trying to determine what caused Russell's infection, and they all mentioned that the Rams had a staph outbreak during the 2003 season. So I don't think its some strange Cleveland phenomenon. Nor do I think that it is implicitly linked to the Cleveland Clinic.

Edit: Here is an article about staph infections and football players.