Many kids these days do NOT shower routinely after weights and practice. Modesty should not infringe on your health. Go in there with your swimsuit or boxers - but shower after a workout or practice.

 

I think it has more to do with some kid breaking out his camera phone and taking a pic. Now that would be a disaster.

Its actually called MRSA and its a type of staph that is resistant to typical "anti-staph" antibiotics. But there are still 5 or 6 antibiotics on the market that can effectively treat an MRSA infection. Some of the antibiotics have to be administered IV and some of them can be given orally. The key to preventing an outbreak is to disinfect all equipment and to not share towels, etc. Its something that all athletic programs should be aware of b/c it can be a serious problem when proper preventative measures aren't in place.

You are correct. The "I" was a typo.

 

I was given three different antibiotics in my series of treatments. The first triggered an allergic reation, and the second then decimated my white blood count before a third was administered.

 

"Bottom line" this stuff is a nasty beast and the treatments can be ravenous to your body. You absolutely CANNOT stress proper disinfectant practices enough. It's sure not a pleasant experience to go through this stuff. Remember we are talking two solid months of treatments in my case, and oral doses of antibiotics were never an option for me. I sure do hate to see anyone else go through what I had to endure this summer.

I know of a few guys who got it real bad in college. One had to have surgery to get it cut out. Nasty, Nasty Stuff.

If you catch it at the beginning stages (when it looks like a pimple and you do not pop it) the treatment is about 2 weeks of anitbiotics. That is if you have the right anitbiotics. The key to controlling MRSA is when that "pimple" pops up you do not pop it.

If you catch it at the beginning stages (when it looks like a pimple and you do not pop it) the treatment is about 2 weeks of anitbiotics. That is if you have the right anitbiotics. The key to controlling MRSA is when that "pimple" pops up you do not pop it.

Not exactly so. Mine did not start as a pimple. It started as a small irritation on my elbow where the skin just simply dried and cracked leaving an entrance port for the bacteria, and within 12 hours of the infection and swelling becoming evident, I was under a surgeon's knife. I then spent two full weeks in the hospital and 6 more weeks of IV antibiotics, twice a day at home. It would not be possible to seek attention much quicker to the symptons than I did.

Wow, I never though my biology background may actually find a place in a high school football discussion.

 

One critical thing to know about any strain of staph, is that it naturally occurs throughout our bodies. Every human has what is called a "Normal Flora", which are numerous bacterias that occur within our bodies since we were babies. Our normal flora is actually vital to our immune system, as we have an immunity to most bacteria to some extent.

 

Where the problem lies is when mutated strains of staph (such as MRSA) are introduced into our bodies. If you were to do a soil analysis you would find that the most common breeding ground for this bacteria is in dirt. Factor in the summer weather, the open cuts from playing sports, and the ammount of perspiration and cross perspiration (from others) and suddenly the body becomes an easy target for staph to set up. If you have an open cut and dirt gets in, you will have staph in your system, it's just typically the ammount is not enough to surpass our normal flora, or one showers quick enough that exposure is limited.

 

The easiest way to avoid infection is VERY simple. Be clean. Shower after practice, wipe down equipment, clean wounds with hydrogen peroxide/alcohol/neosporin/etc, and be conscious of your body and if any unusual sacs of fluid/irritation/or discoloration are occuring. Sadly enough, especially at the HS age every boy has the tough guy mentality, and this could be very dangerous.

Not exactly so. Mine did not start as a pimple. It started as a small irritation on my elbow where the skin just simply dried and cracked leaving an entrance port for the bacteria, and within 12 hours of the infection and swelling becoming evident, I was under a surgeon's knife. I then spent two full weeks in the hospital and 6 more weeks of IV antibiotics, twice a day at home. It would not be possible to seek attention much quicker to the symptons than I did.

 

Yes it can start that way too. It finds any open wound. The ones that I have seen are pimple like and that is what most kids think it is so they pop it.

Are teams with turf having more of a problem with this than when they had grass fields? Just wondering if it has anything to do with properly disinfecting those fields....Bottom line is that kids need to clean themselves before and after practice so those things don't find their way into open wounds...

Belfry is having a problem right now also. I do know they are taking every precaution needed to try and prevent this.

At Lincoln County, we had one case of it my senior year. I think the coaching staff had to spray bleach and we all had to take all our stuff home and wash it, including pads.

Wow, I never though my biology background may actually find a place in a high school football discussion.

 

One critical thing to know about any strain of staph, is that it naturally occurs throughout our bodies. Every human has what is called a "Normal Flora", which are numerous bacterias that occur within our bodies since we were babies. Our normal flora is actually vital to our immune system, as we have an immunity to most bacteria to some extent.

 

Where the problem lies is when mutated strains of staph (such as MRSA) are introduced into our bodies. If you were to do a soil analysis you would find that the most common breeding ground for this bacteria is in dirt. Factor in the summer weather, the open cuts from playing sports, and the ammount of perspiration and cross perspiration (from others) and suddenly the body becomes an easy target for staph to set up. If you have an open cut and dirt gets in, you will have staph in your system, it's just typically the ammount is not enough to surpass our normal flora, or one showers quick enough that exposure is limited.

 

The easiest way to avoid infection is VERY simple. Be clean. Shower after practice, wipe down equipment, clean wounds with hydrogen peroxide/alcohol/neosporin/etc, and be conscious of your body and if any unusual sacs of fluid/irritation/or discoloration are occuring. Sadly enough, especially at the HS age every boy has the tough guy mentality, and this could be very dangerous.

What my doctors told me, is that for years many doctors would prescribe antibiotics over the phone to a local pharmacy to be picked up by the patient without an actual examination being done by the doctor on the patient. A lot of times the patient would ask for antibiotics mistakenly thinking they would be the cure all for the common cold or flu, and Mr. Doctor, in fear of losing that patient's business would heed to their wishes. The problems lies in that these ailments are caused by viruses not bacteria.

 

Also a thing to note is that people sometimes only take their antibiotic medication to the point to where they begin to feel better without finishing the entire dosage, which leads to immunities in our bodies. This has caused these particular strains of bacteria to become resistant and immune to the natural antibodies in our systems and to many of the common antibiotic treatments.

 

Thus a "super bug" has evolved partly because of the two scenerios that I just mentioned.

Staff is serious (could lead to death if not treated).

 

In Ohio, if infected with staff, you cannot play until you are treated and I believe antibiotics must be in your system for 24 hours prior to gametime. If a coach or trainer knows that you have staff and plays you, he (they) are liable.

I stated earlier that I thought this was the case in KY. Does anyone know if we have a rule in effect for contagious infections on a player? If not, we need one, and apparently soon. It seems that 10 years ago (or even 5) this was not a subject at all. Now, it seems that many schools are reporting it.

What my doctors told me, is that for years many doctors would prescribe antibiotics over the phone to a local pharmacy to be picked up by the patient without an actual examination being done by the doctor on the patient. A lot of times the patient would ask for antibiotics mistakenly thinking they would be the cure all for the common cold or flu, and Mr. Doctor, in fear of losing that patient's business would heed to their wishes. The problems lies in that these ailments are caused by viruses not bacteria.

 

Also a thing to note is that people sometimes only take their antibiotic medication to the point to where they begin to feel better without finishing the entire dosage, which leads to immunities in our bodies. This has caused these particular strains of bacteria to become resistant and immune to the natural antibodies in our systems and to many of the common antibiotic treatments.

 

Thus a "super bug" has evolved partly because of the two scenerios that I just mentioned.

Microbiology can get really scary when you investigate into it.What this doctor said is exactly right, and more common than thought. A common example would be the Flu.

 

The flu has evolved so much over the years that it is downright scary, especially when you throw in the Avian aspect of it which produces antigens that our bodies don't have antibodies for. "Evolution" is a word that is very commonly misunderstood (especially in the Bible Belt). For anyone who ever says "there is no such thing as evolution!", they simply need to look into microbiology and see it very easily.

 

Getting back on topic though, I am curious to know whether it seems to people that this problem has been moreso this year than in most? I wonder if this summer's EXTREMELY dry and warm weather has aided in these (pardon my pun) rash of infections.

I just got over a bout with it. I spent two weeks in the hospital and then had to be on intraveneous antibiotics twice a day for 6 more weeks at home. The scary thing is that I caught, and had my infection treated almost immediately after the symptoms surfaced and still spent two months battling it.

 

There are various types of staph, with the one most resistant to antibodies being the MRSI strain. That's the one that I contacted.

Glad you are getting better. If everyone would practice good hygeine and the equipment cleaned after each use like we do at the y etc, and the people that are responsible to clean the locker rooms did that it would help ,but I am sure it takes more than this I am not an expert on this but I would be kinda sore if I contracted it and I was one of the ones that took precautions. Again a SPEEDY recovery.