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Hospitals Can Be Deadly?

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Many of us think of hospitals as a safe haven from diseases. It’s a place where people “get better.” But would it surprise you to know that some of the nastiest, most difficult bacteria to conquer are found in hospitals, almost exclusively!!! According to recent studies, almost 2,000,000 infections per year are transmitted to patients in US hospitals, 90,000 of patients are killed as result.

16-year old Raymond Wagner III was an unfortunate victim of these nasty infections. After hurting himself in a sledding accident, he was rushed to the hospital to repair his bones. Doctors and nurses informed Raymond that all went well, although Raymond developed a fever that would not go away. After days of pain and a worsening fever, Raymond was rushed to the hospital only to discover that he had contracted osteomyelitis – a rare bacterial infection of the bone found exclusively in hospitals. The worst part of these infections is that they are resistant to antibiotics because they are hospital bred.

Months and many surgeries later, Raymond transferred to another hospital and was cured.

Dr. Tim Wilkin of Weill-Cornell Medical College agrees. “They can be quite different,” he says. “They can be resistant to antibiotics, which makes them more difficult to treat. What it means is that they have to use stronger, more expensive, antibiotics to treat the infection, and can often require antibiotics for a longer period of time.”

Ruth Burns was admitted for an "in-and-out” surgery to relieve a pinched nerve in her back. Unfortunately, soon after the surgery, Burns developed pneumonia and was put on a ventilator. Five days later, she was discharged, and only hours later was rushed by her daughter to the hospital, disoriented and in alarming pain.