Project Runway: MRSA, HIV and Jack
If you're a Project Runway fan, you're no doubt wondering how Jack Mackenroth is doing. And you probably have a lot of questions about his MRSA and his health living with HIV.
The good news is that he's fully recovered from his MRSA infection. But like many other people with MRSA, he had to spend 5 days in the hospital getting strong antibiotics in his veins.
Jack left the show not only to get treatment for his MRSA but also because MRSA is contagious. He didn't want to risk any of the other designers catching it from him.
MRSA is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. It's basically a variant of the very common staph bacteria. But it's a potentially very dangerous variant. It's resistant to many antibiotics, including methicillin - hence the name.
MRSA is estimated to kill about 19,000 people a year - most commonly among people with weakened immune systems. Most of these people also appeared to acquire their MRSA in the hospital (more on this later).
Thankfully it's not resistant to all antibiotics. MRSA can sometimes even be treated with oral antibiotics. However, when the infection is severe, as in Jack's case, IV (intravenous) antibiotics are needed to knock it out. And in even rarer instances, also as in Jack's case, surgery is needed to clean out the infection.
Jack's infection was in his nose and surgeons had to go in and clean out the infected tissue. This is a very important part of treatment when antibiotics alone are not be able to wipe out the infection.
MRSA most commonly affects the skin and mucous membranes - the tissues that line the nose, for example. Wondering what an MRSA infection looks like? Check out WebMD's new MRSA slideshow.
The question that seems to be on a lot of people's minds is whether or not Jack being HIV-positive had anything to do with his MRSA. The answer is probably not -- definitely not, according to Jack.
While HIV can suppress the immune system and make someone more susceptible to infections like MRSA, Jack is apparently very healthy and has no signs that his immune system has taken a hit.
It's an important point and something that most people don't understand. What's the difference between HIV and AIDS?
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. Someone with HIV can have a very healthy immune system. AIDS occurs when HIV kills enough of the person's immune cells and they fall to dangerously low levels. This can lead to unusual and dangerous infections that most of us never have to think about.
But today, people can live years and years with HIV - without having AIDS. Jack has apparently been HIV positive for 17 years and as you can tell looking at him, he's doing quite well.
That's the miracle of science at work. In just the 20+ years that we've known about HIV and AIDS, the disease has gone from a very quick death sentence to a chronic illness. It's still a very serious illness and people still die from it every day - yes, even people in the U.S. But with modern drug treatments, people can strive to live a long, healthy, and happy life. And we'll all keep our fingers crossed that some time in the next 20 years (hopefully sooner), researchers will find a way to wipe it out completely.
So back to MRSA ...
Most MRSA infections still occur in the hospital, particularly among people in the intensive care unit or after surgery. But we're now seeing increasing numbers of MRSA infections in the community - even in schools. Recently, a 17-year old high school football player in Bedford, VA died from MRSA.
I don't know where Jack got his MRSA from but the point is that it's out in the community. That said, most community MRSA infections are mild and can be treated fairly easily. And you can take steps to help avoid it.
It's something we all need to be aware of and know how to avoid. You can learn what you need to know, including how to avoid MRSA, in WebMD's MRSA: Experts Answer Your Questions.
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: Project Runway, MRSA, HIV, Jack, staph, drug resistant staph
The good news is that he's fully recovered from his MRSA infection. But like many other people with MRSA, he had to spend 5 days in the hospital getting strong antibiotics in his veins.
Jack left the show not only to get treatment for his MRSA but also because MRSA is contagious. He didn't want to risk any of the other designers catching it from him.
MRSA is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. It's basically a variant of the very common staph bacteria. But it's a potentially very dangerous variant. It's resistant to many antibiotics, including methicillin - hence the name.
MRSA is estimated to kill about 19,000 people a year - most commonly among people with weakened immune systems. Most of these people also appeared to acquire their MRSA in the hospital (more on this later).
Thankfully it's not resistant to all antibiotics. MRSA can sometimes even be treated with oral antibiotics. However, when the infection is severe, as in Jack's case, IV (intravenous) antibiotics are needed to knock it out. And in even rarer instances, also as in Jack's case, surgery is needed to clean out the infection.
Jack's infection was in his nose and surgeons had to go in and clean out the infected tissue. This is a very important part of treatment when antibiotics alone are not be able to wipe out the infection.
MRSA most commonly affects the skin and mucous membranes - the tissues that line the nose, for example. Wondering what an MRSA infection looks like? Check out WebMD's new MRSA slideshow.
The question that seems to be on a lot of people's minds is whether or not Jack being HIV-positive had anything to do with his MRSA. The answer is probably not -- definitely not, according to Jack.
While HIV can suppress the immune system and make someone more susceptible to infections like MRSA, Jack is apparently very healthy and has no signs that his immune system has taken a hit.
It's an important point and something that most people don't understand. What's the difference between HIV and AIDS?
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. Someone with HIV can have a very healthy immune system. AIDS occurs when HIV kills enough of the person's immune cells and they fall to dangerously low levels. This can lead to unusual and dangerous infections that most of us never have to think about.
But today, people can live years and years with HIV - without having AIDS. Jack has apparently been HIV positive for 17 years and as you can tell looking at him, he's doing quite well.
That's the miracle of science at work. In just the 20+ years that we've known about HIV and AIDS, the disease has gone from a very quick death sentence to a chronic illness. It's still a very serious illness and people still die from it every day - yes, even people in the U.S. But with modern drug treatments, people can strive to live a long, healthy, and happy life. And we'll all keep our fingers crossed that some time in the next 20 years (hopefully sooner), researchers will find a way to wipe it out completely.
So back to MRSA ...
Most MRSA infections still occur in the hospital, particularly among people in the intensive care unit or after surgery. But we're now seeing increasing numbers of MRSA infections in the community - even in schools. Recently, a 17-year old high school football player in Bedford, VA died from MRSA.
I don't know where Jack got his MRSA from but the point is that it's out in the community. That said, most community MRSA infections are mild and can be treated fairly easily. And you can take steps to help avoid it.
It's something we all need to be aware of and know how to avoid. You can learn what you need to know, including how to avoid MRSA, in WebMD's MRSA: Experts Answer Your Questions.
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: Project Runway, MRSA, HIV, Jack, staph, drug resistant staph
4 Comments:
While MRSA remains primarily confined to hospital settings, it is concerning that we are starting to see it out in the community. I believe part of the reason why we are ssin seeing more drug resistent strains of many bugs is because of our countries obsession with staying sgerm free. everything you see in the stores is anti-bacterial this, anti bacterial that - people dont realize that this is actually contributing to the problem. the more we do to try to prevent getting these germs , the smarter the bugs beciome. they replicate so fast that they are able to mutate and evade ass the new things we come up with to stop them.
Although you stated his having HIV did not cause the MRSA, do you think his impaired immune system somehow opened the door for the virus to enter at a more rapid rate than with an non-HIV person?I ask because since I am living with Crohns Disease, I find I am very suspictical to staph and/or other infections. Since MRSA is contagious and manifested itself in his nasal passage, how did the show go about clearing the other cast members who had been in 'breathing' contact on a regular basis?
I suffer from CRPS/RSD, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. I have had a total of 16 Staph infections with MRSA rearing it's ugly head about six years ago. I have had twelve in my right hand. Since we all have it on our skin, all I have to do is scratch myself in my sleep or scrape the hand, and I am back on iv Vancomycin for 30 days. It used to be ten days but has slowly worked it's way up to being on it for 30 days now. I have a Portacath, as my veins decided ro tun away eight years ago during the treatment modalities for CRPS/RSD. They then went to using veins in my neck, but the scar tissue became so bad, they had to access my major veins subclavian, where I ran the risk of having a lung punctured. My Portacath has been a godsend. It is rare for them to hospitalize me. I have a medical background, and the Home Health
RN's only come out once a week to change the Huber needle used in Portacaths, and I do the injections of the IV Benadryl that I need to take with the IV Vancomycin as I develop what is called "Red Man Syndrome" and do all the flushing before and after. I now manage to get one infection a year, sometimes two. My first infection was in a Lumbar Sympathetic Catheter where I was receiving Marcaine and Demerol. It was left in too long, six months, and I actually had two when the first Staph infection appeared. I am so frightened that I may not be able to tolerate the Vancomycin, that or the Vancomycin will take my life. I just learned last year by reading the fine print that it is a carcinogin, great, just add on the troubles. The only good thing about having MRSA/STAPH colonized is whether I am hospitalized for an active infection or pain management for the CRPS/RSD, I get a private room as JCAHO has added to it's Guidelines that patients with a history of MRSA, they be in a private room and in isolation. The infections are not fun, nor is the treatment.
My brother just went into the hospital for this TODAY (to go on IV) and the ER doctor told him he sees one or two of these PER DAY! Apparently it is super common and obvs nothing to do with HIV status or other compromising factors.
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