Experts debate screening all hospital patients for MRSA; study looks at plastic surgery infections

Nobody loves a scalpel better than those searching for semi-eternal youth. But if you’re considering plastic surgery, do some research first and consider this. Health experts are so concerned about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the idea of screening patients is being considered. The Chicago Tribune did a story about researchers at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (Ill.) who say screening all hospital patients for MRSA can sharply reduce hospital-acquired infections.

The very idea of MRSA makes my skin crawl, as does its kissing cousin methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. If you really want to get creeped out, take a look at this patient’s photo at the American Medical Association website.

The Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery site features a study about plastic surgery, and 5 of 780 patients who underwent facelift surgery had post-operative surgical site infections.

My attitude towards medicine/surgery in general is don’t use it unless you have to. I saw a woman last week in the grocery store and she obviously had recently had cosmetic surgery. The effect reminds me of what we used to do when we were kids—using our fingers to pull our eyes up at the corners and curling our bottom lip down then curling our tongue up to make silly faces. To me nothing looks more attractive than a person who ages gracefully.

It’s my personal opinion MRSA and MSSA are so dangerous, screening patients is not a bad idea. In the Illinois study, testing all hospital patients to estimate the number of people who carry the drug-resistant bacteria on their bodies reflected an 8.5 percent occurrence. Bean counters will say that’s not enough to justify the costs of testing.

But if one of those bean counters was unlucky enough to contract one of the MRSA strains, they might sing a different tune. Illinois passed legislation governing treatment for those who test positive for the bacteria, and I suspect other states may follow suit. The testing is certainly cheaper than the treatment and infinitely kinder than the aftereffects for patients who contract the infection. The Tribune says Evanston Northwestern was the first U.S. hospital group to screen universally for MRSA. Meanwhile, debate among experts continues.

Read our earlier story with related links. Or do a search of our blog for more on MRSA.

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