Ambulances Tainted with Deadly MRSA Bacteria

Antibiotics have changed the face of modern medicine, and mankind has greatly benefited from them. Generations of people are living today who watched their parents and grandparents succumb to horrible diseases such as diphtheria, gangrene, spinal meningitis, and pneumonia. Modern society rarely sees deaths associated with these conditions due to the advent of antibiotics.

During the past twenty years, according the Mayo Clinic Staff, doctors have become increasingly concerned that patients who don't finish their full course of antibiotics are contributing to super germs which do not respond to treatment with common antibiotics. One such infection which has emerged, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), can only be eradicated by the most powerful drugs. MRSA is a "staph" infection which enters the body through a cut or open wound and can cause serious illness and even death in older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Vancomycin is one of the last lines of defense left to deal with this frightening infection, and it doesn't work in every case. Scientists are racing against time to develop new antibiotics to deal with this rapidly evolving bacterium.

In the meantime, transmission of MRSA has occurred from contact with a stethoscope, a blood pressure cuff, and computer terminals. Hospitals fight diligently against MRSA, spending time and money to control this tough opponent. Even with all their precautions, however, the MRSA bacteria sometimes finds its way into the sterile environment and sometimes takes a life. A recent study by C.E. Roline and associates found that those needing medical attention have an even scarier scenario to consider. The ambulance that rushes you to the hospital in order to save your life may be the culprit that delivers the MRSA bacteria that could take your life.