June 10, 2011

New victims of the Joplin tornado have died with a rare fungal infection that is caused by dirt trapped under the skin.

Inadequately cleaned wounds were stitched up quickly, in makeshift facilities:
A week after the tornado, patients began arriving with fungal infections.

"We could visibly see mold in the wounds," Dr. [Uwe] Schmidt said. "It rapidly spread. The tissue dies off and becomes black. It doesn't have any circulation. It has to be removed."...

"This fungus invades the underlying tissue and actually invades the underlying blood vessels and cuts off the circulation to the skin," he said. "It's very invasive."

16 comments:

AST said...

Could be a case for maggot therapy.

Anonymous said...

It's important to note that the victims died with the infections and not necessarily of the infections. It sounds from the article as if they were in pretty bad shape to begin with.

Peter

Anga2010 said...

Even the doctor said that is was not possible to identify the fungus as the cause of death on account of all of the other (multiple) injuries.
Let's not jump to conclusions too early. Let's wait for all the evidence to come in and THEN jump to conclusions.

A. Shmendrik said...

Death, shit n' deestruction!

Some folks can't catch a damn break. Jeez.

Fred4Pres said...

I was just having gorgonzola on my salad.

I am not hungry any more.

Fred4Pres said...

Huma wants to take Anthony Weiner to Jopolin for medical treatment. Wiener removal with dirt trapped under the skin.

Synova said...

Tragic.

People don't expect to die of "minor" things anymore. So we aren't as careful anymore.

David said...

Nice medical work.

veni vidi vici said...

That's pretty much the terrifying thing, right there.

Pink Floyd say: "...and the worms ate into his brain....."

Bender said...

Necrotic (dead) tissue causes sepsis, which spreads through the body, poisoning the major organs, causing death. The tiniest of wounds, if it leads to tissue death, can kill.

Most battlefield casualties die of infection, not bullets.

Phil 314 said...

3 cases. How many were diabetic?

This story is "lawyer bait"

Alex said...

Sounds like bullshit to me. Who dies of infections so easily anymore, especially with tetanus booster shots? Of course sepsis happens in hospitals due to incompetent nurses and doctors.

edutcher said...

The Blonde interviewed with an outfit that was sending people there. (they didn't take her because she has no travel nurse experience)

Sounds like the medics were badly overworked. Also sounds like they needed help.

And where was Dear Leader to direct things?

Oh, yeah, discovering his "Irish" roots and being snubbed by Lech Walesa.

As my whimsy leads me.. said...

Serious fungal infections are much harder to treat than most infections due to bacteria. There are few antifungal drugs, and the one that has the broadest and most effective activity can cause serious side effects.

This particular type of fungus is rarely seen in hospitals. Extremely rarely. Most hospital fungal infections are due to Candida species (the same organism that causes thrush). Even with that one, if it gets into the blood stream, it can be very difficult to treat. Sepsis, a condition in which an organism gets into the bloodstream, is very dangerous even when it is due to common bacteria. Sepsis is usually caused by spread of bacteria from another site of infection--pneumonia or urinary tract infections, for example. People who have weakened immune function, such as those with diabetes, cancer, HIV, or who are taking certain medications, are more susceptible to both developing and dying from infections.

Toy

Cedarford said...

Bender said...
Necrotic (dead) tissue causes sepsis, which spreads through the body, poisoning the major organs, causing death. The tiniest of wounds, if it leads to tissue death, can kill.

Most battlefield casualties die of infection, not bullets.

=========================
Incorrect. Death from trauma, not infection.

If you were talking about the Civil War, you might have made a factual point.

Methadras said...

AST said...

Could be a case for maggot therapy.


I thought the same thing.