Deadly Staph - Tips for the Prevention of Staph Infections

Tips for Prevention of Staph Infections in Schools


Over the past few years some dangerous Staph bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. Only recently has the news media focused on this serious new health problem, which is of urgent concern to our schools. These killer bacteria, called methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus or "MRSA", have recently caused panic in schools in the USA. Some infected students have become seriously ill and some have died after these antibiotic resistant bacteria invaded their blood stream. Most Staph bacteria only causes minor skin infections and are treated with antibiotics. Serious and deadly infections however, develop when antibiotic resistant bacteria (MRSA) is involved. The best methods for prevention of all types of Stap infections involve general cleaning strategies which can be incorporated into the routine cleaning practices at all schools. Here are some tips for limiting the possibility of Staph bacteria infecting your students:

1.) Establish a daily and routine environmental cleaning schedule for your school restrooms and dining areas. The cleaning staff should be trained and monitored to be sure they understand and practice thorough and effective cleaning procedures. Your local health department can provide advice on procedures.
2.) Use germicidal products or a solution of 1 part chlorine bleach and 9 part water to clean any surface that is subject to frequent touching by students, including light switches, doorknobs, faucet handles, hand rails and all restroom fixtures. Use soap and water at a minimum, preferably an all-purpose cleaner, for a daily cleaning of all other floors and surfaces.
3.) Install automatic soap dispensers, automatic hand dryers and automatic paper towel dispensers. These touch-free automatic dispensers will reduce student's exposure to appliances that are frequently the source of hand transmitted bacteria. like Staph. If your school still utilizes the old manual hands-on dispensers it will be nearly impossible to clean them frequently enough to eliminate the spread of bacteria.
4.) Immediately clean up any surface that has a visible body fluid contamination such as blood, urine or other body fluid.
5.) Make sure automatic soap dispensers and automatic paper towel dispensers are filled with product at all times. This should be part of the cleaning personnel daily routine. Refill the dispensers daily.
6.) Encourage good hygiene. Students should be cautioned against sharing water bottles and personal items, encourages to shower after gym classes and other physical activities.
7.) Require that students cover cuts, abrasions and lesions with a proper dressing (bandage) until healed. Athletics staff should monitor this closely among their athletes.
8.) Clean all items used in athletic activities with an all-purpose cleaner and wash uniforms after each use.
9.) Publish, articulate and post reminders to staff and employees the importance of frequent hand washing with soap and water or the use of germicidal hand gels. Your schools restrooms and cafeteria should have warning signs posted in highly visible areas reminding everyone that hand washing is a requirement of your facility and is everyone's responsibility.


Following these simple cleaning routines will greatly reduce you schools risk of bacterial infections of all types, including Staph and viruses, such as the flu, and the common cold.

Health Care Too Expensive? 6 Easy Ways to Save Money

If you want to protect yourself and your family without going broke, you will need to be pro-active when it comes to health care. Despite the extremely high cost of most medical care, access to free or discounted care is there for those willing to make a small effort to find it. Here are 6 tips to get you started.


1) Rx Discount Program - Prescription costs can be reduced substantially without buying insurance. There are discount purchasing groups that allow you to join them and receive their negotiated pricing on most prescription medications. One such group is UNA. There is no obligation or fee to register and it takes less than a minute to receive a personalized printable discount card which you simply bring to your druggist. He will save your discount group # in your file and you will then receive a reduced group price on all covered prescriptions. Discounts can be as much as 75% on some prescriptions. Go to www.superrxcard.com and print your own free drug card in less than 10 seconds. There are no gimmicks attached to this one and over 57,000 pharmacies participate in this group. According to Wellness.com - April 2006: "Hands down, the finest prescription assistance program in the United States…"
2) Free Medical Q&A - Informational resources are abundant and free. If you have symptoms you want to confidentially discuss with a real doctor or if you want to research any disease or medication, here are a few good resources: www.webmd.com , www.afraidtoask.com and www.yournetdoctor.com .
3) Doctor and Hospital Ratings - before you select a doctor or hospital for surgery, you might want to know if you are making the right choice. There are research groups that independently research doctors and hospitals and rate them based on criteria which are designed to determine whether they have met the nationally recognized standards for excellence. One such group has made their data base of research on over 600,000 doctors and hospitals available to the public. Got to: www.healthgrades.com to see how your doctor and hospital rate.
4) Health Insurance - Given up on buying health insurance? Do a little more research. There might possibly be some good coverage available that is within your budget. Try www.insureme.com or www.healthinsuranceinfo.net before throwing in the towel.
5) Free Eyeglasses - If you are a student or have children and cannot afford eyeglasses for them, there is a program available that may qualify you for a free eye examination and free glasses. To see if you qualify, go to: www.sightforstudents.org and apply
6) Free Medical and Dental Clinics - Nearly every zip code has a medical facility nearby that will give anyone, without insurance or money, medical care. Most of these receive $ aid from governmental agencies or charitable organizations. How do I locate one? Just call any doctor or medical facility and ask them or visit www.ask.hrsa.gov/pc/ . This webpage will allow you to search for a clinic by zip code that will give you medical care, even if you do not have insurance or money. Another site that will help you locate free medical care is www.freemedicalcamp.com

Health and Energy Drinks - Are They Really Healthy?

New health drinks and energy drinks seem to fill the coolers and store shelves these days. New beverages are marketed as sports drinks, vitamin water, energy drinks, diabetic drinks, weight-loss or weight-gain drinks and exotic fruit or plant extract drinks- with "miracle" health benefits. The spin is endless - the health claims are often based on fuzzy or no science. There are a few things we should consider when substituting these new beverages for plain old water or other traditional beverages.

Food and drink consumption is largely driven by lifestyle. Beverage manufacturers are in competition to appeal to our quick-changing lifestyles and as a result millions of dollars go in to formulating and marketing something to sell to us. Health and energy products have a special consumer appeal, so, it is profitable for beverage purveyors to associate "good-for-you" and "high energy" with all forms of liquid concoctions. Health and energy drinks are supposed to improve our life in some way, right? Many fall short or can actually hurt us.

Are all these new health and energy beverages really fit for human consumption? Many are absolutely not good for you. Check your labels. Most of these so called health drinks are loaded with sugars to make them palatable to our sugar craving taste buds. Since we aren't likely to buy many if they taste bad, beverage manufacturers are tempted to disguise the high sugar content of their beverages - because consumers in our new health conscious culture have quit buying so many of their high sugar soft drinks. Isn't high sugar content the reason we were told our kid's teeth are rotting and our butts are getting larger?. Many health drinks with high sugar content now disguise the sugar as "crystalline fructose" or "high fructose corn syrup" or "HFCS" rather than Sugar. Even sugar substitutes are not as healthy as we once thought. The truth is that we like sweet drinks, but, healthy and sweet are not usually found in the same sentence. Additionally, many popular "energy" drinks are loaded with caffeine or other stimulants plus lots of disguised sugar. Also popular these days are labels that claim "all natural" or "organic" ingredients. Be reminded that many natural or organic ingredients are not really good for your. Dirt is organic and natural too but it is not safe to eat just because it is organic and natural. Always consider the ingredients listed on labels and be aware of the beverage's contents, especially high sugar content. Many of the exotic ingredients and claims made of their health benefits are not based on good science or any science at all. Consumers seem to have an affection for miracle ingredients and exotic plants that come from far away places. Reality check! - there is very little governmental regulation of any beverage ingredient that has not been proven to kill you within 48 hours. Beware of unproven health claims and watch those labels. Also, combining energy stimulants with alcohol, which has become extremely popular, can be hazardous to your health and to others as well.

Please keep this fact in mind when making your beverage selections: Your good health is not the primary focus of the beverage industry and not the reason they have developed these enticing new formulas - profits are!

Flu Symptoms (8) - Do I have the Flu or Just a Cold?

I feel horrible! - do I have the flu or is it just a common cold? This question is usually the 1st one that comes to my mind when I get that lousy-all-over-feeling that lets me know I've caught a winter season bug. Some of the symptoms of the flu (influenza) are very similar to those common to the common cold, however, there are some flu symptoms that are not. Here are 8 symptoms that are common to the flu. These tips may help you determine whether you have the flu and a proper course of action if you do. If you suspect you have the flu and not just a common cold, see your doctor within 48 hours if possible. He may be able to prescribe medications that will help lessen the severity of your symptoms. After 48 hours the available antiviral medications are much less effective.

1.) Fever of 100.4 F (38C) or higher. Fever is rare if you only have a cold but fever over 100.4 F for 3-4 days is common in up to 80% of flu cases.
2.) Muscle aches that are widespread throughout the body. Muscle aches are not common with a cold and if they do occur are normally slight.
3.) Very tired or exhausted feeling. The degree of tiredness is usually much more pronounced with the flu than with a common cold.
4.) Headaches are common with the flu but fairly uncommon with a cold.
5.) Chills are common with the flu but are uncommon with a cold.
6.) Sore throats are common with both the flu and a cold.
7.) Stuffy or runny nose. These are common with both the flu and a cold but are more common with children who have the flu than with adults with the flu.
8.) Stomach problems such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are sometimes associated with the flu - a more common symptom with children - but uncommon with a cold.

If you have any of the symptoms commonly associated with the flu, you should see your doctor ASAP - remember , as stated above, if within 48 hours of the onset of flu symptoms he may be able to treat you with antiviral medications that may reduce the severity of your symptoms and shorten their duration. After 48 hours the effectiveness of antiviral medications is substantially reduced.

Here are a few other suggestions that may help get you through the misery of having the flu: 1) Get enough sleep - not only will sleep help your body recover more quickly from the flu but when you are asleep you are not suffering 2) take over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol or Advil or other brands of ibuprofen or acetaminophen 3) keep your room warm (but not hot) 4) monitor your fever 5) avoid contact with others(except your doctor)until you are well 6) do not continue working or strenuous daily activities until you are well. Prevention is better. To prevent the flu: Ask your doctor if he recommends that you get a flu shot each year before the flu season begins. Certainly you should see you doctor immediately if you suspect you already have the flu.

Death by Diarrhea - New Mutant Bacteria Invades Hospitals

Sound like a sci-fi scenario? - Unfortunately it is too real. A new and very virulent mutant pathogen has infected patients in hospitals in at least 38 states. Because cases of the infection by these bacteria are not reported in many states, the incidence of infection is likely increasing at a much more rapid rate than has been recognized. Alerts have been sent out by the CDC and other offices responsible for communicable disease control in the U.S. This new epidemic strain of anti-biotic resistant bacteria is now suddenly ranked with MRSA or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureas (aka Staph) as the top 2 potentially deadly infections that can be contracted during a hospital visit.
What is this new bacteria? It is actually a common bacteria (a bug) that has caused treatable diarrhea in older patients at nursing homes and in hospitals for years. Clostridium difficile or C.diff. is transmitted through contact with fecal matter, usually from hand or food to mouth. C.diff related diarrhea occurs most commonly as a result of anti-biotic use. When certain anti-biotics are used they kill some of the good bacteria in your body that usually keeps bad bacteria like C.diff from flourishing. (C.diff is resistant to most anti-biotics) Ironically, when you are attacked by C.diff because of the anti-biotics you are taking - you must take a specific anti-biotic to kill the flourishing C.diff. Here-in lies the new problem. A mutant strain of C.diff called NAP1/027 resists all anti-biotics and this bacteria is more toxic. C.diff produces spores when it senses that it is under attack from anti-biotics and these spores are not easily killed by the usual sanitization products used to clean hospital environments. These C.diff spores can remain on hospital surfaces for months and can contaminate food and anything touched by hospital personnel or patients. Contracting C.diff, especially the NAP1 strain can lead to uncontrolled bouts of diarrhea, up to 50 per day, and can lead to more serious, imagine something more serious, like C.difficile associated disease (CDAD) and chronic colon problems.
What can I do about it? Not a lot. But here are a few things which may help you avoid infection:

1) Avoid over-use of anti-biotics. Ask you doctor if anti-biotics, especially any anti-biotic that has been associated with CDAD, is really needed for treatment. Anti-biotic over-use is a major reason that these resistant bacteria are mutating.
2) Wash your hands thoroughly before you put anything in your mouth, especially after visiting a hospital or nursing home.
3) Wear surgical gloves if you are caring for patients with CDAD or diarrhea.
4) Do not let severe cases of diarrhea go untreated by a doctor. Unfortunately, common diarrhea medicines can make c.diff infection worse by stopping the bacteria flushing effect of diarrhea. C.diff infections call for more than over-the-counter medicines.
5) If you suspect a problem, call your doctor, especially if you develop diarrhea after tending to a patient or visiting a hospital setting.

The Internet - A Drug Candy Store!

"The Internet has become a pharmaceutical candy store - offering a high to any kid with a credit card at the click of a mouse" - Joseph A. Califano Jr., National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, chair and president.
The number of websites advertising and selling controlled prescription drugs like Oxycontin, Valium and Xanax has grown dramatically, over 130%, since 2006. There are basically "no controls" on the sale of controlled substances via the internet. Stopping the sale of controlled substances on the internet is no easy task. Many of these websites and their counterfeit drug manufacturers are based outside of the United States. Without the cooperation of certain foreign governments - combined with a concerted effort by our own government's enforcement agencies, plus the cooperation of internet providers and credit card companies, the sale of controlled substances via the internet will continue to escalate. All efforts so far to shut down this very lucrative and illegal business has fallen short. Most websites (over 80%) do not even require the buyer to have a doctor's prescription to make a purchase. Sadly, a large % of these illegal online drug purchases are made by our teenagers looking to get high. Sales of Xanax, Valium, Vicodin, Oxycontin and Ambien have skyrocketed - these are easier to acquire over the internet than they are through local street drug dealers. Parents need to recognize that their children have access to recreational drugs via the internet whether they live in the inner city, the suburbs or in a small town far from a street drug dealer.
The Dangers! - You do not know what you are getting! A website may look legitimate and sophisticated but it may sell counterfeit drugs that look exactly like real FDA-approved ones. Unregulated drugs may be manufactured in laboratories or processing facilities that have inadequate control standard - the pills may have inconsistent formulation, be too weak, too strong or contain substitute or harmful additives - labeling may be inadequate, incorrect or may not list important drug interaction warnings. You could die! Some already have.
What to look out for : 1) Do not buy from websites that do not require proof that you have a doctor's prescription 2) Do not buy from sites that are not affiliated with a pharmacy that is licensed by a State Board of Pharmacy. Medications purchased from sources other than state licensed pharmacies may be at worst unsafe or at least ineffective. You can visit www.napb.info for a state board contact list 3) Do not purchase medicines that are not prescribed to you by your own doctor. Dosages, drug interactions and other suitability issues must be considered carefully. A medicine that helps one patient could kill another 4) If you do order from the internet, before taking any medication purchased, carefully examine the packaging and the drugs appearance- color, texture and shape - if it looks different from what you normally take, discard it. If it tastes different -spit it out! You may have saved a few bucks but is it worth the risk. If you are a teenager taking the internet purchase to get high - you are literally playing Russian Roulette.

Beware of your selections from the "Internet Drug Candy Store". The taste may not be so sweet!