"Hamilton's" <hamilton at gionline.net> wrote:
> My daughter was recently diagnosed with Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and has been treated by 4 different antibiotics. (fortaz, nafcillion, unison and zithromycin) She came home with a central line and continued on the nafcillion for 2 weeks. She is now off all antibiotics. (She was hospitalized for several weeks 6)
> What are the chances of this coming back.
> I should add that She has speical needs and is not able to cough on command or clear her secretions well. She doesn't walk, sit or talk.
> She has severe cerebral Palsy.
> Does this ever go away? And how do you think she got it in the first place?
Hospitals are breeding grounds for bacteria, because the use of
antibiotica there leads to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant
strains of bacteria. In a hospital one may get an infection that is much
worse than the ones one gets in normal surroundings where all bacteria
have to compete equally among each other. Small amounts of Pseudomonas
may occur in healthy people, but they usually cannot increase in
number because of the presence of other, harmless bacteria. If the later are
killed by antibiotics, the Pseudomonas may increase to take their place.
Pseudomonas can be killed, but one has to culture the strain first to
see which antibiotic can kill this special variety. Best guesses would
be an acylureidopenicillin (e.g. piperacillin) or a carboxypenicillin.
Dag Stenberg
M.D.,Ph.D.
