"The drugs, which are powerful synthetic stimulants, became popular in Western Europe in 2009 and showed up in the U.S. in Louisiana and Kentucky in August 2010."

They're a type of drug. Not the type of bath salts used to bathe with.

More information on this type of drug

Okay, here we area again with yet another way we can kill ourselves. I feel so awfully bad for this lady. She never thought for a moment that her desire for a high could lead to the loss of her arm and one of her breasts. I've always wondered why people would buy drugs from a person who might not even have a high school diploma considering all the possible drug interactions and consequences. This is so sadly tragic.

TSVG... you aren't much different than the evangelists you complain about. Any subject allows you to rant about your prejudice.

Flesh eating Strep is no joke, and I'm glad to see something on the news about it. I lost a cousin to it.

He was working on the septic tank, had a small cut on his arm. Day on1, thought he was coming down with the flu. Day 2 he was at Mayo, had his arm removed. Day 3 he died. His body was shipped to the funeral home vacuumed sealed in plastic...the casket was also sealed in similar fashion. It was like something out of a sci-fi movie.

This was the same stuff I cultured in microbiology...took the samples from around the toilets in the school. When my Prof. saw what I had, it had to be destroyed. Now I can see why.

More than likely, it was a contaminated needle. Regardless, this is NOT the only way this bacteria gets around. When your Mom says was your hands after using the toilet..she wasn't joking. Wear gloves when scrubbing the toilet and floor around it. Clean and protect cuts.

Concider this a public service announcement.

Pam, these drugs aren't being made under any kind of laboratory standards. It just might have been the drugs. Do you think the people making these drugs are wearing white coats, working under sterile conditions and are concerned about quality control?

Yuck..

Totally agree, differnet.

Concidering the actual contaminants in the drug itself is a no brainer...ditto that for the needle. My emphisis was on the actual bacteria, and that it's out there. It was very suprising to me after my cousin died, how many people DIDN'T realize there was a strep that could be so necrotic...(staph gets WAY more attention in this area)....it is a relatively rare occurance, but it only has to happen to a person once.

A word to the wise is usually sufficient.

Pam: read my story below. If I had waited one more day to get my Husband to the hospital with this infection he too would not be here. Regardless of how this woman contracted the bacteria, injecting this crap was her reason for introducing the staf into her system. You make good points about the source I just wish we would take this warning seriously.

After thought....just to give a "for instance". Just about everyone knows what a brown recluse spider is, and what a bite can do.....this bacteria is far more insidious and lethal than that. Google some photo's (spider bite)and you will get a very close parallel to what this strep can do. Both are necrotics.

BTW, I wonder how many people get up from their computer, go to the bathroom, don't wash their hands, and go right back to their keyboard. Now, imagine that this microb has found a home on your keyboard, and you have a cut on your finger....

For those attacking TSVG, I cannot say for sure what he meant by his statement about ignorance in religion but I took it as a slam on those that follow a cult like Jim Jones and the nuts of Heaven's Gate. Not an honest to goodness religion like Muslims, Catholic, or southern Baptist. :-)

At least 16 states have enacted emergency bans on bath salts and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency banned three chemicals used to make them last fall.

Darn government. They should stay out of people's lives. :-)

im usually very much on the side of doctors, but this story raises some questions for me

I wonder what antibiotics she was given, and why she wasn't admitted to the hospital. Its possible that it really looked benign and two days later was much worse, but if I were in the ER and a young lady came in with obvious cellulitis and arm pain, I'd probably admit her for some IV antibiotics and a chat with the infectious disease doctors, and not just dc her from the ER

Ive seen one case of this in my life--a young painter who fell asleep on his arm and somehow ended up with a strep nec fasc. He ended up losing his hand to what I think was a delay in diagnosis, and unfortunately this case looks similiar to me

They are sold with the warning -NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION so technically its not a drug. wink wink

eric: I tend to agree with you on this. My dad was working (he works in a place that makes plastic containers for food service products), he got a little scrap on his elbow. He didn't think anything about it. Later that night it was extremely swollen (looked like he had a golf ball under his skin), painful and erythematous (which I drew a circle around because I wanted to see how it progressed). The next morning, I called my mom and she said my dad was staying home from work but she was headed into work herself. I swung by their house on my way to work, and found my dad laying on the living room floor, he had a very high fever and he was delirious. The erythema and edema had progressed well beyond the circle I had drawn. I immediately drove him to the hospital (my parents live all of 3 miles from the hospital - it takes less time to drive there than get an ambulance).

The ER docs did exactly what you described - IV antibiotics, talked w/ the ID docs, and admitted him. He was in the hospital for about a week. He kept his arm (though he did have a lot of soft tissue removed from the triceps area). He also got a strep nec fasc, but he was diagnosed very quickly (compared to the woman in this story) - and that made a huge difference in the amount of loss he had.

It's hard to have any sympathy for this woman. She brought it on herself. I do feel sorry for those who contract it through genuine accident, like a contaminated cut, but not a drug user. Can we say natural selection?

I've always wondered why people would buy drugs from a person who might not even have a high school diploma considering all the possible drug interactions and consequences.

differnet - do you really think that people selling illegal street drugs include a pamphlet describing possible side effects and warning signs like you get with a legal prescription at your local pharmacy? Why do you think that it would make a bit of difference if the drug dealer had a high school diploma?

This is another poorly written MSNBC article. First, the headline leads one to think that the woman contracted the bacteria by using the kind of bath salts intended for taking an actual bath. Second, it gave no reference as to what "bath salts" are from a chemical standpoint. Third, it didn't mention which chemicals used in the synthesis of bath salts have been banded. Typical MSNBC...incomplete coverage of news events.

I think they should legalize all drugs as long as they have additive in them that renders the users sterile. After a couple of generations of not being able to breed the genetically challenged idiots die out and we see overall improvement in the gene pool. It's a win win.

BGMorgan........ this is the first -off the wall but makes sense- corrective measure that actually makes sense. If the drug moguls can make people, who take regular medicines, become repeat users to make them more rich, than why not...

Party ON

This is literally an extremely painful lesson for her to have learned, but it's natural selection. Her missing arm and breast is a reflection of the grave lapses in her decision making. Now, it's just evident for everyone to see.

If our system focused more on treatment for those seeking and less on humiliation and criminalization, cases like this could be caught and treated much more effectively. Alas, wasting tax dollars on ineffective drug "education"and late stage interventions for the uninsured seems to be what America has become about.

Eric, the best of the best would never be able to diagnose this. This stuff looks even more benign than dermatitis. I would be suspicious if the physicians actually diagnosed it from the first try. You speak of IV and broad spectrum abx, and even consultations with ID. I consult infectious disease once every few months maybe, and I will make sure I have researched everything 10000% before I bug them, otherwise I get chewed out. You're talking about consulting them 6-8 times a day (i.e. every time you see cellulitis)? I would get fired within 24 hours. Not for pissing them off, but for not being able to see more than 2 patients a day if I am going to work up every cellulitis or every weird looking dermatitis that walks in (and hooking each one of them up to an abx IV). Give the doctors the benefit of the doubt. I looked at the paper, and every doctor I have ever met would have done the same thing, if not less even. You would have done the same thing. I promise.

I'm sorry, but I don't feel a bit sorry for this woman. I could understand if it was something she could have avoided, and I'm not perfect by any means, but she chose to use this drug and get high. Nobody made her do it. She made the choice all by herself. Why do you think drugs are illegal? I don't know if this one is illegal or not, but just because something is legal doesn't mean you have to do it either. Smoking is legal, so if I get lung cancer from it, it's my own fault and I can't blame anyone else for it. I'm glad it didn't kill her and she can have a second chance to live her life hopefully drug free, but as for sympathy, sorry, I have none for her.

my guess is that given her poor choices she probably is relying on the good taxpayers to provide this medical care. she paid for her stupidity with an arm---taxpayers pay with'' an arm and a leg''. so tired of irresponsible people dumping their drug problems on the public and seeking sympathy to boot. ''how could this happen to me---i'm a victim of the dirty drug dealers ''. not a sympathetic case to me-just pathetic.

Any kind of skin eating infection is bad enough to have. It's too bad her decision to get high led to this.

6 years ago I contracted Sporotrichosis on my arm. It spreads slowly and painfully, creating ulcers on the skin. I had an ulcer the size of a half dollar for six months as my dermatologist and doctors from the CDC helped me to figure out what it was. As a 13 year old girl in basketball, it was very difficult going day to day to school and practice in pain with my arm completely wrapped to prevent the possibility of it spreading (we didn't know if it could be contagious or not). I was on medicine for over a year after the doctors from the CDC came up with a diagnosis.. I hope I never contract any kind of skin infection ever again! :(

They're a type of drug. Not the type of bath salts used to bathe with.

There's a reason why they call it dope. She's it.

my guess is that given her poor choices she probably is relying on the good taxpayers to provide this medical care. she paid for her stupidity with an arm...

Not only is it possible that the taxpayer had to provide medical care, those of who actually pay taxes will now support her on disability for the remainder of her life.

If our system focused more on treatment for those seeking...

missrn - unfortunately, those seeking will always be seeking. Most of them don't want treatment. They are perfectly happy getting high whenever they can. I don't drink or use drugs and have never had a desire to do either because I don't like being out of control of my life. However, I support the legalization of drugs. Tax them like liquor, gas and cigarettes. That will bring money to the federal government to reduce a portion of our tremendous debt, and it will remove the motivation of drug cartels by obliterating their profits.

The headline is pretty misleading. "Bath salts" has the connotation of something healthy except to drug suckers. Losing her arm is minimizing the damage when she actually lost her arm and t!t and other muscle tissue.

But looking at the positive side, this lady made it easier for herself to quit using bath salts - one less hand to use to inject and a lot less surface area to use for injection sites.

There would be a shortage of cow patties if they would give you a buzz!

Actually, in Malaysia where drug possession carries a death sentence, people have been known to get high by covering a fresh dung pile with a coconut shell and inserting a straw into a hole and inhaling the methane that builds up inside.

No sympathy for alcoholic and drug users here. go away.

It amazes me the number of people harping on "it's illegal, so i don't feel sorry for her..."
as if "legal" = "moral" and as if "any error in judgment deserves any consequence, however tragic"

cynical175 in particular has all the depth of intellect and compassion of a puddle of piddle on the toilet seat.

kidsdoctor,

I disagree, but its hard to say since neither of us were there

Of course I wouldn't consult ID for every cellulitis. But as you know, its rarely very painful, and that should be a tip that this isn't run of the mill cellulitis

Plus, if they got a history of injectable drug use, they should be suspicious for all kinds of things (right sided endocarditis, brain abscess, gas gangrene, etc)

But its really hard to say without looking at her labs and not seeing the patient. I can't promise you I would have done the same as you if she had a white count and fever, with pain and crepitus though

I do feel sorry for her because at 34 she showed no sign of maturity or common sense. I do not understand why people are so reckless. This is your life, it is not a rehearsal and there are no "do-overs".

It amazes me the number of people harping on "it's illegal, so i don't feel sorry for her..."
as if "legal" = "moral" and as if "any error in judgment deserves any consequence, however tragic"

cynical175 in particular has all the depth of intellect and compassion of a puddle of piddle on the toilet seat.

The Old Lefthander

You sound like this lady was tortured for jaywalking. She wasn't. She made a choice and a predictable event came of it. Now maybe the specific infection is rare but really, who doesn't know that sticking a needle in their arm filled with chemicals at a party is a bad idea and might make something bad happen to you? I hate that this is what it takes sometimes, but this lady got exactly what she gambled on. Sometimes the dice come out snake eyes. If you can't pay you shouldn't have picked them up in the beginning.

just an addendum to my previous post

I just read the paper as well, and it did answer some questions. She was admitted, and recieved IV abx.

My only question that remains is should they have gotten a CT of her arm earlier? It wouldve shown this underlying infection

I think there were clues that this wasnt typical cellulitis. First, a pretty impressive white count. Very unusual with typical cellulitis

Secondly, her history. She tells you of a puncture injury. that should raise a flag of possible deep-seated infection, not just limited to the superficial skin like cellulitis

Third, high ESR and CRP. Again, possible with cellulitis, but suspicious for something worse

Fourth, the description they give is not just a little erythema--it sounds like half her arm was involved

All in all, I can't say what I would have done if she appeared to be responding to antibiotics. I don't think ID would've minded the call on this one though, considering the history and the fairly atypical presentation

I agree with Pam. My first thought was dirty needle.

Kidsdoc,

I'm in agreeance with Eric. Considering her hx and lab presentation I would have been very suspicious of an infection deeper than cellulitis. I would rather treat aggressively first and then consult ID later if I saw no improvement

But then again I'm still learning the ropes (just finished my medicine rotation).

I was taught, though, that w/ nec fasc you typically have pain out of proportion with area of infection on skin in early stages

Here;

That's a new one on me, just goes to show you're never too old to learn!

My sister was luckier than this young woman. She got a minor cut on the palm of her hand, while gardening. She went into her kitchen and washed her hands. Thought nothing of it, until, that night, her husband rushed her to the hospital, severe diarrhea, dehydrated, high fever, could not even wake her up.

She had to have her right forefinger, right thumb, and her right tricep muscles removed. The infection got into the cartilage of her right hand, and progressed from there. Three years later, they are still trying to rebuild her arm and hand.

Remember, it was a relatively unheard of infection this young lady contacted, but, there are circumstances not explained in the article, circumstances many very knowledgeable doctors probably had never had to deal with in the past, so let's not get on any soapbox about how she was misdiagnosed, or mistreated by the medical staff. Noone is perfect, especially in large city hospitals where they have to treat every kind of trauma on a daily basis, with many different personalities, and angry, scared, and wild people.

its not really an unheard of infection.

Necrotizing fasciitis is well described, and not extraordinarily rare. Its just that it is occasionally difficult to diagnose. I don't know if these doctors dropped the ball or not, but I think their management at least raises questions

And that is one very, very important part of medicine. Its why we conduct regular morbidity and mortality conferences. To see if there was anything that went wrong, and what steps we can put in place to potentially fix it.

If you are not constantly thinking, and yes, raising questions about patient care, then you will never improve it

I bet she will be the first person in line in court fighting to legalize drugs. or let' say she now has a good reason to go to the doctor and ask for prescription for dope. see, never ends.

Wow. Antibiotic resistant infections are no joke. If you have any kind of exposure to fecal waste, have any kind of surgery or an injury which compromises skin, beware. Do not wait to be treated. It will not go away. AND for the sake of everything you hold dear, injecting yourself with anything other than medically prescribed drugs, is an invitation to disaster. You have no way knowing what their effect will be, no measure of dosage and if mixed with other substances, what the combination will produce. Needles may or may not be sterile. There is no high good enough to literally risk life and limb. There are enough conditions for which there is no known origin. How about we not create these unnecessary tragedies..

Many infections are becoming very resistant to anti-biotics. Worked in a residential group home for persons with disabilities. One individual continually scratched himself severally and MERSA was result. Another got frequent infections from incontinence (diaper rash basically) staff waited way too long to to get medical treatment. The individual was moved from the home I worked at because it was all female staff and he was becoming physically agressive more and more over time. He was moved to an all male staffed home where despite all of our input about needing to keep a close eye on his hygiene they failed to heed our warnings. This client is very very fortunate to even be alive. Was in critical conditon for quite some time and his health was severely effected by this neglect. Even what seems to be a simple sinus infection can lead to big trouble. Treatmenat is much better today but my grandfather landed in the hospital for 3 months for a sinus infecton that went to the brain. If a doctor doesn't seem to listen keep on insisting or seek a 2nd or even 3rd opinion. A co-worker nearly lost her son to meningitis, the doctor wanted to send her child home. She demaned a 2nd opinion that literally saved her sons life. Another friend nearly died for an etopic pregnancy when the Drs. poo poohed her concerns over bleeding for 3 weeks straight. Another friend was an IV drub user who had an injection site become infected. HE finally sought treatment but had to have IV penicillin run thru him for a week and the debriding is extremely painful. A woman I know of began injecting drugs in her extremely large breasts. She ended up having to have a breast removed but was on welfare and not eligible for reconstructive surgery nor could she afford prosthetic breast pad. Must have been extremely humiliating for her to have to go out in public with one huge breast and the other missing but she only had herself to blame. However, didn't deter her from continuing to use drugs. Hope her kids were able to break away from her influence as the are now young adults.

Any drug abuser deserves to suffer the consequences of their own actions.

I have no pity for junkies.

kidsdoctor: I hope that you and other doctors see this. I went to the hospital for cellulitis around the eyes the Friday after last Thanksgiving, and they gave some antibiotics for 5 days. I followed up (as directed) with my internist four days later; I would have sooner but it was over a holiday weekend. I still had some swelling, although it had gone down since I went to the hospital. I had only gone to the ER because my doctor couldn't be reached over the holiday. I sensed that the infection was still there four days after my ER visit, and had spread to both eyes. The internist said that the recommended antibiotic dose is only 5 days. I said that I tend to get serious infections; could she possibly renew the prescription or give me another antibiotic prescription? She refused. Just like that. I had to turn to faith healing. I'm not kidding. I'm sorry, but there are many many people out there who get rapid infections. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and therefore I've been tested for many different possible illnesses, and I do not have any, nor any other form of compromised immune system; but, every year I get every bug that passes, and often complications. I've had periorbital cellulitis before this time. I get flu shots every year. I'm taking care of a husband with cancer who may not be exposed to stray germs, and I am careful to tell my internist this fact. So, why is the infectious disease specialist NOT invoked? Foreign germs (at the very least) travel into America all the time. It has even been suggested that high sedimentation rates and CRP is caused by a foreign infection, and that RA and even scleroderma can be cured with a particular low-dose antibiotic in the tetracycline family. The rationing of medical care is something that doctors should be lobbying to stop, not telling patients that they don't deserve the treatment. Isn't penny-wise, pound-foolish something that ought to be followed? Sure our health-care system needs tweeking, but it needs doctor input, and doctors seemed to be on the side of the health insurance companies. I really don't understand it.

Meg: Another point: you say don't inject yourself with anything that is not prescribed. Also make sure, even if it is prescribed, that the alcohol wipes are not from a recalled brand. Yes, there is a very deadly bacteria that can live happily in isopropyl alcohol, and unless those wipes are sterile, you could be exposing a person to this bacteria; it was in the news last year. My husband is a cancer patient who must inject himself daily with blood thinners, so I've been following the recall news.

Also, no matter whether gardening, or cleaning, it is a good idea to wear gloves. But sometimes dirt does get into little cuts; just be wary about your reactions, and don't wait a couple of days just because you want to tough it out. These infections are no joke.

Eric: I hate to P.S. my own post, but I've read a few that say something like "she had more than just a little cellulitis." Well, cellulitis is a very serious skin infection. Having had periorbital cellulitis this past fall, where the doctors were concerned that I might lose an eye (but not concerned enough to admit me), I would hope that there is a little more concern about serious infections. In the past, antibiotics were over-prescribed, but today it seems that a spreading infection that is very serious is still not being treated with enough care.

Elizabeth,

You sure are doing your fair share of preaching to only have had such limited interaction within the medical field. Anecdotal stories hold to little no weight.

Her arm was amputated because of the bacteria...her infection had nothing to do with the "bath salts", most likely injecting with a dirty needle was the source of her infection.

My two cents. Cellulitis without signs of systemic infection and localized can be treated as an outpatient, if the patient can be reassessed in 2-3 days, and understands to return immediately if she worsens. I must admit that on occasion I've admitted a suspected injection drug abusers for broad spectrum antibiotics who only appeared to have a localized infection, when I wasn't confident that they'd return for follow up. The article states that she initially denied injection drug abuse, so sending her home may have been reasonable if she didn't have any areas suspicious for necrosis, crepitus, or an extensive, expanding or circumferential areas of cellulitis, high fever, etc. No need to consult ID in my opinion, unless the bacterial species proves hard to kill. Necrotizing fasciitis can be hard to diagnose...you have to have a high index of suspicion.

Eric, you make excellent points. Admittedly, I am probably very biased, as I have a pediatric population, and they tend to have a lot of just plain old cellulitis. Plus, I don't get many 4 year old IV drug users.

I just read the article again, and frankly, I still think I would have done the same thing they did. As MarineDoc mentioned, it seems she initially denied any IV drug use, and there was no crepitus or fever. There were no clues in my opinion that this thing had become systemic, which is why I wouldn't have even bothered with any blood work (even then, I'm not sure how I would manage this, because I would still expect a mild ESR and white count for cellulitis).

To be fair, I'm not so sure how I feel about her initial complaint of increasing pain as John kindly pointed out. I totally overlooked that. But, given her history, I still think I would have discharged. Necrotizing fasciitis is extremely rare in my world.

John, you probably know more than all of us here. You are absolutely correct - early disproportionate pain should be your buzzword.

I bet she will be the first person in line in court fighting to legalize drugs. or let' say she now has a good reason to go to the doctor and ask for prescription for dope. see, never ends.

And if she could buy dope from a respectable pharmacy, she would never have lost her arm in the first place.

She did do something stupid, but her stupidity does not justify keeping dope illegal.

To quote another Louisiana resident "Stupid is a stupid does"

why the hell do people do this kind of things to themselvs when they know there will be consiquences

One arm.... I guess she'll have to smoke the bath salts instead of shooting them now. She won't have to worry about dirty needles anymore

No defense of this woman's bad choice. She paid dearly for it.

I'm always baffled by people who believe someone deserves whatever happens to them because they were doing drugs (i.e. j70141). J70141 engages in a balanced cardiovascular & muscular exercise regime, doesn't eat too many hamburgers, doesn't drive when fatigued, certainly never answers his cellphone whilst driving, goes to the doctor often for all his regular checkups, wears sunscreen every day to avoid cancerous skin damage, obviously doesn't smoke or drink to excess, and wears a mask on smoggy days, and never considers jay walking...

No, he doesn't-and he deserves whatever happens to him.

I do feel a little sorry for this woman - however:

• We all do stupid things - but when we're young (i.e. teenagers and early 20s)
• Even though I may have tried a drug here or there, not once did I EVER consider an injectible drug - even 20 years ago we knew that HIV could be spread that way
• This woman is 34 YEARS OLD! Old enough to know better and to have outgrown the need to experiment with drugs.

Hey Docs, I'm a nurse and my physician will no longer RX antibiotics unless she does a blood test for WBCs. Makes sense to me.

I had a friend once that cut his index finger at a local lake while loading up his boat. by the time he had travelled to the next big city, his hand ballooned up. He went to the ER in that city, and they put him in ICU for 3 days for Strep. He was really sick, didn't know if he would make it. He almost lost his hand, but thankfully he went home after four days. Nothing to mess with.

Let US be clear The US Marines have Navy docs . This woman Probably gave herself this flesh eating thing . So yes It IS Her fault . But Good Gawd Damn folks . She made a bad decision , and most of your responses are Just let her die . ???? Sorry folks I do not get your new Political stuff .

Um, duh! Do I takes drugs and loose my mind, breast and arm or do I live a clean life and exercise and enjoy this beautiful thing we call life. Um, der I will do drugs and lose an arm, breast and my mind. Party on dude.

Yes, she obviously knew in advance that she would "loose" her arm.

@BGMorgan

Here's the problem with your idea-- sometimes drugs get slipped into drinks (usually, women are the victims). So if all drugs lead to sterilization, these women would be potentially victimized twice; once by whomever slips the drug into the drink and a second time from the sterilization.

Why do they call this drug 'bath salts'? Does it have anything at all to do with real bath salts?

This woman has paid a very high price to get high. Maybe she'll be more cautious now.

It's all about 'marketing'. You can't openly sell something as what it is really used for.

Remember "poppers"? They were sold as 'liquid incense'. See, it's all a damn game. And people are caught in the middle of the tet-a-tet between government control and legit business wanting a small piece of the massive black market.

In other words: Money

Yes, and they've admitted to two misconceptions; 1- the antibiotics didn't work; 2- she had infected areas of "skin" even after arm and shoulder were removed. This tells me just ONE very important thing...and that is her resistance to any infection was retarded by a lowered immune system. And bad living habits usually lower immunity.

Why am I starting to believe some of the predictions listed in revelations of the bible...and I never was one who read the bible from cover to cover. But I do remember stories from other people who predicted nasty things like abundant flesh destroying disease...with wild scenarios of "arms and legs floating around" The floating around part is supposed to be due to acute depletion of oxygen during these occurrences. Sounds a bit far fetched, but not the disease part. I do know that antibiotics don't work for shyt! : )

kaybeetoys: "Bath salts" are just one of many names this particular drug is known by (it just happens to be the most common). They have NOTHING to do with real bath salts. Many times drugs will have names that are a legitimate product - it's so that when people discuss them, those who know what they are talking about understand they are talking about the drug; but those that overhear the conversation are left with the assumption the people are discussing a perfectly legitimate product.

mill8961: Regardless of whether the bacterium was in the drug or on the needle she used to inject with - she got the bacterium from doing the drug. Had she not been doing the drug, she wouldn't have been exposed to the drug.

This tells me just ONE very important thing...and that is her resistance to any infection was retarded by a lowered immune system.

LPCD - None if what you listed would indicate that she had a lowered immune system. Apparently, you don't read the news very often. Flesh eating bacteria have made headlines often in the past few years. It can kill even the healthiest person within a few days if not diagnosed quickly enough.

If you don't believe that antibiotics are effective, then don't take them the next time that they are prescribed for you. Save them for someone intelligent enough to know that they work.

Yes, and they've admitted to two misconceptions; 1- the antibiotics didn't work; 2- she had infected areas of "skin" even after arm and shoulder were removed. This tells me just ONE very important thing...and that is her resistance to any infection was retarded by a lowered immune system.

Different antibiotics work for different bacteria (certain antibiotics work on bacterial ribosomes, others work on cell walls, others work on different areas of bacteria metabolism, etc, etc.). Some bacteria are resistant to certain antibiotics - they can have intrinsic resistance (meaning they don't rely on the biochemical mechanism the antibiotic works against - this would be like using the wrong type of antibiotic to treat a particular infection) or they can have acquired resistance (such as trying to use penicillin to treat MRSA, the bacteria has picked up the MecA cassette - which carries the gene for resistance to methicillin, penicillin, amoxacillin and other antibiotics in the Beta-lactamase class).

It wasn't just her skin that was removed - the muscle had been infected (and was necrotic), breast tissue was necrotic), etc., etc. The bacteria was very aggressive and by time it was known that she had a necrotizing fascitis (2 days AFTER she initially presented to the ER), too much tissue had died and the bacteria was spreading faster than they could control it with antibiotics alone.

LPCD

I'm just stating my thoughts and opinions--I don't know her, and neither do any of you vigilant super know-it-alls who have a problem with my right to post a comment. Get a life please. : )

It's true...you have a right to post all the ignorant, presumptive posts you like on the internet...YOU, my friend, are the price of freedom. Get a life, indeed.

LPCD: I have personal knowledge that antibiotics, if selected properly, do work (I would be dead from sepsis if it weren't for powerful antibiotics. Of course there is profit in antibiotics (well, at least in some of them).

Who suggested antibiotics have powers of selection? I certainly didn't. What I did say is that certain antibiotics work on certain bacterial mechanisms - that isn't a power of selection, as you describe it. It's a matter of how they work. Bacteria have different ribsosomes than do humans - thus, some antibiotics target bacterial ribosomes. When the antibiotic blocks or damages the bacterial ribosome, the bacteria can't produce bacterial proteins that it needs to stay alive - thus, the bacteria dies. When an antibiotic prohibits the cell wall of the bacteria to be formed, or cleaves the cell wall that is already formed, the bacteria dies. Yes, there can be side effects from antibiotics, as there can with ALL medication (even herbal remedies and so-called alternative medications have side effects).

The doctors took the tissue from her breast because standard of care when removing infected, necrotic tissue is to take the obviously infected tissue, plus a reasonable margin of healthy tissue because it could be infected but not visibly infected yet. ALSO, and more importantly, the lymph nodes that drain the arm and axilla (armpit) and breast are all interconnected by lymph vessels. Lymph nodes are common places to find bacteria when the body is overwhelmed with this sort of infection - because lymph nodes are part of the physical structure of the immune system.

Also - lifestyle and immune status are NOT the top indicators of whether someone will have strep or staph infections. Staphylococcus aeurus is a normal flora of your skin, yes, even your skin. Some people are carries of MRSA, some people carry necrotizing strains (though, much less commonly carried) - these people don't get sick with MRSA or necrotizing fascitis unless there is a wound within close proximity of some of their normal flora strains of staph - and then, only if enough of the bacteria gain access to the wound to cause the active infection.

Why is prevention simple hand washing - because it's common sense. No rocket science involved there. Also, MANY people (whether someone who decides to use drugs or not) don't wash their hands and many of those that do wash their hands don't wash properly.

You absolutely have every right to voice your opinions and I don't see a single person saying you don't have a right to post a comment. I do see several people, myself included, that disagree with PARTS of your posts. My only disagreement with your post is on the scientific basis of antibiotics and infection. As far as how this woman got infected - most likely, had she not been injecting a drug - she probably wouldn't have gotten this infection. Had she been properly diagnosed sooner (when she initially presented to the ER), she may not have lost her arm and other tissue.

@scales,

Sorry you could not deduce from any resemblance of your reading comprehension skill...that my experience and dislike of antibiotics has probably suspended my use and belief in their effectiveness. Duh,...in other words, I do not use them. I pity anyone who has no knowledge of alternative resources, and those who throw around the word 'intelligent'...and seem to have no idea of its meaning. : )

@Summer-1597193,

You seem to be more level-headed and not reduced to infantile name calling. Look, all I'm saying is I believe the body contains its own 'fight' against any infection, but lifestyle issues are most likely the reasons why her level of fight, resistance, etc. allowed whatever malady in to wreak havoc. My focus was mainly on her resistance...and lousy medications...not the ravenousness of the condition. Testing with better resources, or with extremely healthy people may bring new insights, but it hasn't transpired as of late. BTW, I respect and appreciate your thoughts on the subject. : )

LPCD: You're right that the body does have it's own "fight" against infection - the immune system. However, there are times when the immune system cannot get it under control fast enough. In fact, most antibiotics aren't actually bacteriocidal (meaning the antibiotic itself doesn't actually kill the bacteria), most are bacteriostatic (meaning the antibiotic prevents the bacteria from replicating). Bacteriostatic agents, essentially, keep the bacteria at a level that gives the immune system a chance to respond and allows the immune system to actually kill the bacteria. Think about it like this - if it's the first time your immune system has been exposed to a pathogen - it will take 7 - 10 days before the immune system is fully ramped up and fighting the infection. In some cases, you will be dead before day 3 - and that's even with a healthy, strong, fully functioning immune system. So, many antibiotics basically buy time to allow your immune system to work.

As far as lifestyle goes - yes, there are things that can "weaken" the immune system. However, in the case of NF, the bacteria themselves are often so damaging (they produce toxins, they are invasive, etc., etc.) that even a person with a healthy immune system will have devastating affects. The point is, could she have had an impaired immune system - possibly; given the bacterium she was infected with (meaning the specific strain), it probably didn't matter if she had an impaired immune system or not.

I understand why you were focusing on her level of immunity, and the medications - however, given the particular bacterium she was infected with, one must also consider the condition. With other infections, I would actually agree with you that the focus should be on level of immunity and the effectiveness of the available medications.

I pity anyone who has no knowledge of alternative resources, and those who throw around the word 'intelligent'...and seem to have no idea of its meaning.

LPCD - Yes, I have extreme pity for those who post comments as though they are facts when that person is completely oblivious to the true facts. Try taking a course or two in biology and microbiology to learn what bacteria are and the mechanism by which a correctly chosen antibiotic will kill the target bacteria. Summer's posts are a good place to start, although I would be willing to bet that you have no idea what a ribosome or cell wall are. If you were prescribed an antibiotic for a virus, then you were either misdiagnosed or your doctor needs to go back and take some refresher courses. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses, but they do work when the correct antibiotic is paired with the correct target bacteria.

LPCD You truly need to educate yourself. Everyone should know how thier body works and how medications affect you. BTW, You are the only one to bring up this organ specific issue and the "born infected" reference is, again, solely on your flight path around reason (both are illogical random oddities). You have more name calling and derogatory comments than anyone else and yet are outraged if anyone so much as questions you. Perhaps you are not so perfect and educated on this subject as to be judging others.

Nobody is interested in your hatred and bigotry Freedom Poodle. If you want to spew hate about Christians, or even Jews and Blacks if you like, kindly find a forum that deals with such ignorance.

My husband is a 27 yrs. post burn survivor. His immune system in his arms and hands is compromised because of the loss of the lymphatic system in the hands and arms. As he gets cellulitus on a regular basis, I can attest as to how fast these infections progress. You can actually watch the redness moving up his arm. There are so many types of staph that can and does kill in a very short period of time. The last time my husband was hospitalized, the culture they got from a tiny scratch grew a staph normally found in cows. The only place we could think of where he may have picked it up was from the door handle from our small town store/cafe that the guys from the nearby sale barn frequent. The infection can go from a small red spot with some swelling to a raging infection with an entire hand and arm up to the elbow within 2 hours which has been our experience. The Doctors never let him go home from their office when he has this. He is put in the hospital and immediately started on IV antibiotics. We must watch every day for any symptoms of infection. I know this is a different situation than those with a healthy lymphatic system. But everyone must be aware and pay close attention to any change in what seems to be a harmless scratch, cut,etc. Take good care with cleanliness of the area. And even being aware and careful doesn't stop these devastating infections. We learned the hard way of a Dr. prescribing antibiotics and sending him home. That afternoon 4 hours after the appointment, my husband was passed out on our floor from the pain of the swelling that was spreading right before our eyes. It's some very scary stuff. And it's becoming more frequent than people realize.

Survivor1: Having had cellulitis myself around the eyes, I appreciate your husband's terror and pain.
My hospital ER simply gave me a shot and some pills and sent me home; my doctor was out on vacation. When the doctor returned from vacation, I went to her, and she would not renew the prescription. Come to think of it, I'm looking for a real doctor...

Elizabeth-it is frightening. My husband was MRSA positive for an entire year after he left the burn unit after 6 months. He endured sepsis twice which was touch and go. As others have said, MRSA is everywhere. The Drs. at the now named Regions Hospital in MN told us that if you take 15 people off the street and cultured their noses for MRSA, more than half would be positive. My sister contracted MRSA after a bronchoscopy at our larger hospital, and she was dead 4 days afterward. The Oncology ward admitted that all the patients on the ward were MRSA positive. You can't get rid of the stuff. At the burn unitwhen they get down to one or two patients, they move them into isolation on another floor, shut down the burn unit for at least a month to monitor the progress of getting rid of itifpossibleBut of course asthey begin filling up with patients again it starts all over again. They cultured me and I remained negative the entire year he was positive. But we followed medical guidelines at home for a long time to prevent spreading of the bacteria. And even though I cultured negative, the hospital would not allow me into their facility to go to physical therapy. The Drs. at the University of MN told us a lot of Drs. and facilities are ignorant when it comes to infection control and diagnosing MRSA or necrotizing fas. Those were their exact words. I was surprised they would say something like that, but we have found it to be a bit true in our area.

Well, I'm sure you would find a way to rationalize away the risk if it was someone who say, got high on bath salts and injured or killed themselves or others. People rationalize away anything that might make them want to change their behavior.

You know RJ, maybe you should google bath salt deaths, effects, etc. before shooting off your mouth.

I know people choose to do it but let's get real, they are not harmless.

RJ Simons: While they may not have this particular problem - they do have a lot of problems even from smoking the drug. The high, from what I understand, is very intense and can last for several days. It can produce intense hallucinations (visual and auditory), seizures, psychosis, and violent behavior. It can cause an extreme elevation in blood pressure and heart rate. It can cause your muscles to breakdown - and if this happens at a high enough level, it can cause kidney failure.

I wouldn't say that's smoking bath salts with no problem.

LoL at John maybe you should google alcoholic deaths everyone has a drug. Just some choose ones that are alot cheaper.Everyone has at least done some type of drug in thier life just some like the effects more than others. And to anybody else who down grades this women for doing drugs. Look it up if you think your better than her.

Hmm, Little Walt, I read and re-read John's comment. I'm not really sure why you think his comment was rude toward anyone that does or has done any drugs. He simply stated that bath salts aren't harmless, even if smoked, as RJ Simons claimed. Stating this drug isn't harmless isn't saying that other drugs (including alcohol) are harmless; it isn't degrading to anyone that uses any drug (whether it be bath salts, alcohol, etc., etc.); it isn't saying that others haven't done at least one type of drug in their life. It's simply saying that bath salts are not without danger (which is a true statement).

differnet

People rationalize away anything that might make them want to change their behavior.

I feel the same way about religious people.

The shooting off at the mouth part. Why do people have to be mean to others to make a point was he getting high off thier addrillin rush. Your probably thinking the same about me right now. But I'm not. Just sick and tired of it. Just about everyone all my life has been mean to me cause I was the nerd the class clown the poor kid the person who was blunt about problems or people so they did everything to me to be better then I was so they could look good to others. Everbody has a say just cause you don't like what the other person says does not mean you have to be mean to them. So I picked a drug that this person probably uses as an example that thier not perfect either. Also I read in other parts of this article people drown gradeing this women for doing drugs like they are perfect too. So before down grading others go look in the mirror and look at your own faults first. I know I have. Do you get my point now about my comment to John and to others, Summer?

Little Walt, Yeah, he probably could've left that line out. But, let's face it RJ Simon did "shoot his mouth off" without really having the facts. He stated that people smoke bath salts with no problem. That simply isn't true. If someone makes an inaccurate or incorrect statement, then they should expect to be called on it.

I totally get what you're saying about not being mean and about not down grading others. I also agree with you that no one is perfect. That said, I don't see John's comment as one that presumes he is better than anyone else or down grades anyone. He called RJ Simon out on RJ's inaccurate statement. Perhaps John could've done that nicer, but I still feel you read too much into his comment.

Regardless - you are entirely right about people being mean.

Little Walt: Not Everyone, some of us are simply smarter than others.

Little Walt if I was being mean, the post would have been deleted and my account banned.

You know what pisses me off? It is people who come on the net and make ridiculous claims about things like "bath salts". In the town I live near, there was a kid shot by police because he was waving a gun around in the air and refused to put it down. By all accounts he had starting using bath salts 10 days earlier for the first time. There are dozens of stories like that about this particular substance.

And another thing, I probably tried every damn legal and illegal drug I could get my hands on in the 70's to the mid 90's. Opiates, pharmaceuticals of all types, meth, MDA, LSD, Mushrooms and smoked enough weed to fill a house. I probably drink a little more than I should from time to time and I know that. All those "harmless" substances I put in my body didn't kill me but it put my life on hold in a dead end job for almost 20 years. I threw away scholarships and opprotunities because all I wanted to do was get wasted. I went from having one of the highest GPA in school to barely graduating in 2 years.

I looked in the mirror a LONG LONG time really hard and realized that I was destroying my life not in health but in the fact I was going nowhere. I haven't put an illegal drug in my body for years. I got up, cleaned up and got an education and haven't ever looked back. I have a decent job now but I could have had a much different life if I never picked up that first joint and drank that first beer in the summer of 1977. I think I have a damn good perspective into the use of drugs of all kinds at least for myself. I've been luckier than some. I haven't been unemployed since 1988 and still have a few braincells rattling around in my head. Enough at least to where my employer is happy with my work and I make million dollar decisions on a frequent basis with their confidence.

You want to know what else pisses me off? It is presumptive arrogant individuals who act like they know what other people are thinking or what they are like or their history. Or it's the stoner that goes on and on about how all drugs should be legal while they post from their momma's basement while eating a leftover pizza from their delivery job. It's the alchoholic who thinks pot users are somehow less than they are while they beat their wife and terrorize their children. I think those are the people who should go stare in the mirror a while.

If you are going to do any drugs, legal or illegal, do cannabis. Vaporizing is better than smoking. Eating is probably even better than vaporizing, depending on what you cook it in and your health condition (diabetes, high cholesterol, overweight?). No one has ever died of an overdose of cannabis, so I am told (I'm not God, so I have imperfect knowledge).

What I am getting from the comments on this article is that there are deadly bacterial infections out there. Anyone getting a cut or scrap could contract these virus'. Washing hands regularly helps prevent these kinds of infections. You don't have to inject illegal drugs to get these infections. This seems to be an area of medical science that could use a breakthrough.

Some of you others need to stop wishing bad things to happen to people you know nothing about. I"ll bet you consider yourselves "Christians". The Christian God I read about in the bible loves everyone - even hookers, thieves, drug addicts, murders and rapists, etc.

John, Great post and straight from the heart. Completely get it. You and my husband are of a similar age and former lifestyle. He's been completely clean and sober for 20 years and regrets the wasted ones that could have made our lives easier. While he was on drugs we never had kids. within a few months of his stopping the first of 3 children was born. Maye some Know-it-alls on this site should listen up and take some of your 1st hand wisdom to heart. Good luck to you John, stay clean and happy.

I can tell you bout the junkie with a gleam in my eye, Get them bastards on the set, We need dirty laundry!!! Kick em when their up!!,kick em when their down. Sound familiar?????????????????? Get a life.. all of you.......

I'm guessing the infection was due to a dirty needle in unsanitary conditions. The contents of the syringe probably didn't matter.

Yes, the infection did not happen because of the drugs. But its a good scary story for parents to show to their kids and to implicate the actual drug in the loss of the arm. In reality, it was the needle that carried the infection. It could have been saline solution. It could have been an insulin injection. Bacteria that can cause necrotizing fasciitis, or sepsis (which also can lead to limb loss and fast death) can be introduced in all sorts of ways. Step on a pin in the house, theres a chance. Scrape yourself outside, even a mosquito bite. All that needs to happen is that bacteria get into your blood stream, find a vulnerability (depressed immune system because perhaps yoiu are exceptionally fatigued from chronic sleep deprivation, or a small injury in muscle for the bacteria to set up house), and youre off to the races. I know - it happened to me, in my shoulder. Luckily it wasnt MRSA. But nobody knows how I contracted it. Any break in your skin - even a pimple that is infected - can turn into trouble. Its not common, but it can happen.

Take-home message is: Treat any cut, any sore, with care. Keep it clean and covered. Dont pick at scabs (just like mom used to yell at you for), and for goodness sake - if you have a red hot area on a limb that is spreading, dont mess with that - get to your doctor, or perhaps an emergency room, post-haste!

The MRSA variant of bacteria may be new, but sepsis from common non-MRSA bacteria has been killing us forever. These are not rare bacteria - they are everywhere - very common. On every surface, and even living (common) in many peoples noses and on their skin no matter how clean they are (carriers). Take those scratches and little sores seriously, folks!

How do you know that the infection didn't happen because of the drugs? It's not like the drugs are being cooked up or package in sanitary conditions. It's not like the person who cooked up the drugs probably had a degree in pharmacology. People are crazy, you put crap into your bodies that are sold to you by someone who probably has a less than a high school degree, cooked up in who knows where and under what conditions and with no quality control... but you'll happily stuff it into your bodies and then say... Oh no, it couldn't possibly have been the drugs when things go tragically wrong.

But then if it WAS the drugs, you might have to change your behavior.

I have one word for you Strength>#'s....

"QUARANTINE"

It can spread faster than the flu.

differnet:

Maybe it was in the "bath salts" like you think. However, others who seem to have experience with these things say it may have had nothing to do with the "bath salts" and could have just been on the needle. I'll bet many, many more people get cuts and scrapes than inject bath salts so it is important for everyone to know that they should be washing hands and keeping cuts clean, whether or not they do bath salts.

Jean-1002429

People that are too stupid to know that injecting anything into your body that isn't sterile is going to end up just like this woman. She had better hope that they get it all on the first go at surgery, otherwise, her demise will be agonizing and painful. Get a life!!! I'm not very forgiving toward drug addicts. I've had wayyyyy too many in the Emergency Departments that I have worked in. Give us a break and stay home and get through it on your own....I'm too busy saving legit patients.

I guess you didn't have to take the Hippocratic Oath to get your job. You're a real piece of work, lady. Here's hoping your boss never sees this post.

Jean should be working as a greeter in a WalMart, not in an emergency room. Not with that attitude. Anyone know what city Jean lives in or more specifically, which emergency room? Her boss should probably know she's making determinations about who the "legit patients" are as they lay there fighting for their lives. I'm sure he/she would be very interested in Jean's unique approach to triage.

Freedom Poodle (really?): So, just as an observation here, Jean NEVER said she wouldn't care for the moron who inflicted some harm on themselves. She just said she is "not very forgiving toward drug addicts". And, I would venture to guess, she probably isn't forgiving to alot of idiots who inflict injuries on themselves purposely (yes, doing drugs of your own volition is purposeful). If I came to you and bashed myself in the head with a hammer and lie there bleeding, you'd probably help (based on the benelovence you seem to want people to notice). But, you'd probably still go "What the F***'s wrong with this dope?" because that's human nature...to question/judge others' apparent stupidity.

Daniel...perhaps you casually glanced over this...

"I've had wayyyyy too many in the Emergency Departments that I have worked in. Give us a break and stay home and get through it on your own....I'm too busy saving legit patients."

That attitude completely flies in the face of the Hippocratic Oath. Sorry, but that's the job she chose. A lot of people do risky, stupid things that are socially acceptable and cause serious or life threatening injuries like ski, play football, ride a motorcycle, etc. Moral judgment has no place in triage. Frankly, in a moment of frustration or moral outrage, who's to say she doesn't make a judgment call that costs someone their lives? If she's sharing this frustration publicly then I highly doubt she has the ability so separate her duty from her self-righteousness.

Jean may still treat the patients, but I doubt she will have the most caring attitude when she does. I have been in the hospital when the staff erroneously thought I was an addict, and they treated me worse than a dog-denying me fluids for 48 hours and deliberately doing things that caused me pain. I was admitted with a severe migraine then developed a spinal headache on top of that from a spinal tap in the ER, and for some reason they didn't seem to believe I was really in pain but instead seemed to assume I was just seeking drugs. (Kind of odd that they would continue to think that when I was REFUSING all pain meds because nothing was working anyway, even the strongest thing they gave me in the ER hadn't helped.)

Alex, >>> SHhhhh, be quiet or people might see that you could be right.

Just legalize it ALL because the FOOLZ & IDIOTS that wanna use it are gonna <> ANNNNNNY-WAY!

SO why???? spend any money on BATF/FASTTTTT n' FURIOUS, ... etc,etc, etc & under thaa table money to our Illustrious LEADERS/Police/Judges/Prosecuetors/Polititions/etc!!!?

There is no "stereotypically racist" attitude in Jean's comment. The remark is directed toward addicts in general.

Hope you don't work at my ED.

You go Jean. These CLOWNS do not understand that this country is BANKRUPT. Too much money is spent due to burnouts medical, theivin habits and lack of work ethic.. They'll figure it out in a year or two when the entire system collapses. LOL!

Legalize ALL drugs and make these clowns reponsible for their own choices.

So what is a "legit patient" in an emergency room? The drunk redneck who shot himself in the foot while hunting? A food addict who eats herself into a diabetic coma? A preacher who caught the clap from visiting hookers? A motorcyclist who is to macho to wear a helmet? A soccer mom who didnt wear her seatbelt? A doctor who twisted his back playing golf when he should have been working to earn that bloated pay check he doesnt really deserve?

YOU ARE NO DOCTOR!!! A real doctor KNOWS people are human and do STUPID things, if it wasnt for people doing stupid things you WOULDNT HAVE A JOB.

I'm with you, Jean. This was no goofy teenager, but a woman in her thirties who should have had the maturity to know better than to inject some crap into her body. She has paid an awfully high price for her foolishness.

How many news stories about celebrity deaths, how many lives ruined, does it take for some people to wake up to reality?

I guess the point is that some people will take any drug they can find in an attempt to escape reality.

The headline should read: THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM REALITY.

Oh Doug, get over your hate of all things religious. Most people that are religious are decent, kind people that certainly wouldn't go on such a rant.

To commenters like Ant-D.O.G and get a cluee: Strep is not the only thing that can eat you alive. Hate does it, too.

Hmm, what is TV but a temporary escape from reality? Alcohol? Movies? Books? everything we do is designed to give us a temporary escape from the horrible reality we have created for ourselves. There is no scarcity of resources, we just create scarcity so someone can get rich off of depriving others. Our system is SICK, it rewards greed and envy and punishes honesty and hard work. Yes we are looking for and escape from the rabid consumerism insanity in everything we do, from sports to the food we eat, everything has turned into an ESCAPE!!

DougCoe:

I'd call TV, books and movies a form of recreation. We all benefit from the escapism they provide, as long as it's not allowed to become obsessive. The same could be said about internet addiction. :)

Although I think you may have stated your opinion in a somewhat extreme way, I cannot disagree with it entirely. Religious extremism has become a common way to cope with the uncertainties and fear so many people have.

Escapism is rampant too. Americans have become too caught up in entertaining ourselves. We have become trapped in a vicious cycle of consumerism and lack of initiative. We are the victims of our own materialism.

Junkies aren't worth saving. Survival of the fittest, baby.

Thats what I say Kelly, FAT people(70% of the American population) aren't worth saving!! It's their fault they are fat, not mine and not the hospitals. Our medical system is being overran by obese people and the illness's associated with gluttoney. I say lock them out of the hospitals, drop them from their insurance and let them suffer, it's their fault they're fat, not mine and not the federal government. I eat less than 2000 calories a day and work out from 5 am till 8 am everyday so why should I have to pay for fat people to become food junkies and drain our system of resources, right kelly?

Survival of the fittet and I am the fittest person I know so screw the rest of you, right kelly? isnt that the American way? only look out for those who dont need looking after? what about old people and babies? they are kind of a drain on society, they arent the "fittest" so they dont get to survive, do they kelly? I bet you could beat an 80 yearold senseless with one hand and take his food away, so as a society we will just throw those people under the bus. And all sick people too, hell anyone who isnt as perfect as me gets left by the side of the road to die, right kelly? The American Way?

That was a bit harsh, Doug, but so much truth to it...

So many folks focusing on the drug part, yet they don't seem to get the fact that this bacteria can get anyone.

All this santimony about drugs is camoflauging the real issue....this bacteria is out there, and it's nasty, and it doesn't care what church you go to, or religion you prefer, or if you never drank, smoke or took one single drug in your life, it doesn't care what color you are, or if you're fat or skinny, smart or stupid.....once it gets into your system...it spreads like wildfire. The human body is nothing more than food to it, and it is HUNGRY!

And the scary thing is WE probably created it!! We have taken what nature worked billions of years to perfect, our food supply, and GENETICALLY MODIFIED IT TO PRODUCE ROUNDUP WEED KILLER. So now there are superweeds and superbaterica and superviruses. Because we think we are smarter than "god" or mother nature or whatever you want to call it we have created a monster that will ultimately replace us as the dominant species on this planet.

Whats really funny is your own body makes its own drug its called addrillin. Some are junkies to it. So to whoever saids that they never had a drug think again.

kaybeetoys

I'm with you, Jean.

Figures...hateful idiots of a feather...

kelleym68

Junkies aren't worth saving. Survival of the fittest, baby.

But you are, yeah? Worth saving AND fit?

Somehow I doubt that.

Jean:

Thank You for your service and help to those in need. Some folks(uneducated I might add) cannot realize the stress and trauma you have witnessed. Keep on, keepin on.

Little, the word is adrenaline (also called Epinephrine). Its a naturally occurring hormone and a neurotransmitter. Trying to compare that to illicit drugs is a bit much of a stretch. Without those hormones, you're dead.

"no escape from reality"? What is religion? Have you watched these "evangelicals" in action? They fall to the floor shaking like dead fish "high on god"? they are using religion as a drug to escape the reality of day to day life and as weve seen over the centuries, religion can create very powerful hallucinations causing people to murder innocent people, starting wars and making men do things they normally would not such as kill every man, woman, child and animal in a city the Israelites wanted to take over. Religion is the most powerful and the most deadly drug known to man, the god myth is nothing more than a WMD!!

Survival of the fittet and I am the fittest person I know so screw the rest of you, right kelly? isnt that the American way? only look out for those who dont need looking after? what about old people and babies? they are kind of a drain on society, they arent the "fittest" so they dont get to survive, do they kelly? I bet you could beat an 80 yearold senseless with one hand and take his food away, so as a society we will just throw those people under the bus. And all sick people too, hell anyone who isnt as perfect as me gets left by the side of the road to die, right kelly? The American Way?

Oh linda you can label yourself and other Christians as "decent" people but everyday you prove yourself to be just as greedy, envious, angry, violent, selfish, perverted, mean, nasty and untrustworthy as EVERY OTHER HUMAN ON THE PLANET. YOUR religion as well as every other religion on the planet does absolutely nothing to make you a better person, in fact it instills a since of superiority over those who dont believe that same as you do giving rise to the hate and distrust of others.

emphasis mine

You don't think these quotes express a sense of superiority over those who disagree with YOU?

That was a bit harsh, Doug, but so much truth to it...

So many folks focusing on the drug part, yet they don't seem to get the fact that this bacteria can get anyone.

All this santimony about drugs is camoflauging the real issue....this bacteria is out there, and it's nasty, and it doesn't care what church you go to, or religion you prefer, or if you never drank, smoke or took one single drug in your life, it doesn't care what color you are, or if you're fat or skinny, smart or stupid.....once it gets into your system...it spreads like wildfire. The human body is nothing more than food to it, and it is HUNGRY!

I think Pam Montgomery is the only sane one here....

Jean-You are paid to treat whatever patients show up in your hospital. Your personal opinions have no business standing in the way of the care that you are charged with giving by the fact that you except a pay check for it. If your opinions are costing patients in any way shape or form then you do not belong in the medical field and should seek another career.

This story is sad. Most of the comments are even sadder. The judgement, contempt and lack of compassion seem to jump off the page at me. This is the real evil in the world today. Lack of love. WE need to remember that to err is human and to forgive is divine. Regardless of what you believe in this holds true. To say that anyone deserves pain and suffering is heartless no matter who they are or what they have done. Please stop for a moment and think about what you are saying then take a good long look in the mirror. Look at those that are close to you, your friends and family. Are any of us above reproach ? We as a race are failing when we lose sight of our humanity. In a world full of people spiraling out of control it's not hard to see the outcome of all this hate. God have mercy on us all because we have no mercy for each other. My thoughts are not meant to inflame so please don't attack me for the belief that Love is our only hope. I wish you all nothing but peace and safety.

Ya, feel sorry for da Tax Payer. If she was self sufficient before, she surely will be gittin a check NOW. LOL!

Step Up

Just when you think people can't get any dumber, they show you they can. I would like to feel sorry for this woman, but I just can't. Anyone who is willing to play with drugs deserves whatever they get...I hope she had insurance and we taxpayers didn't pay for her stupidity.

I feel the same way about people who injure themselves playing football, skiing, typing at a keyboard all day, etc. There's no way they couldn't know the risks involved. As a tax payer I hate paying for the stupidity of sports enthusiasts and chronic web surfers.

Hi people, she's a human being , a human being who made a stupid decision and is paying dearly for it..How about a little compassion? That could be anyone hear tomorrow making a mistake getting behind the wheel of a vehicle or walking down the wrong street or buying a sandwich from the wrong vendor.. Stop being so damned heartless. America ain't cursed because of people like her, America is cursed because of heartless people like urselves who lack humanity and compassion.

@ Stepup, so I guess u r not human, u r some species of super being who is impervious to human error, u never effed up made a mistake screwed up in ur life, huh? So according to ur twisted senbse of logic, if u step into the road and get hit by a car , its ur fault , huh? If ur driving down a dark road and get t-boned , gish maybe ur simple ass should've stayed in bed, right? U know what is so disturbing about idiots like U? Ur always looking for someone else to @!$%# all over for the MISTAKES they make but God only knows when u eff up someone is supposed to kiss ur ass and actually give a crap.. I hope U eff up real soon and think about the crap u spewed here, moron.

@Mac101 I guess u would rather give ur tax money to all the wealthy oligarchs who would love to reduce u to slave like status and don't really need ur tax dollars but will take them anyway just to make sure U don't have a damned thing , people like Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich..lol.

SandiiX,

Perhaps we could establish the FAIR TAX and Fair Trade. Perhaps we can give da BANKSTERS the Martha Steward treatment. Jail em and sieze their assets. You need to open your mind and see that President Obama is owned by da BANKSTERS just as Romney and Newt, maybee even more so. In fact they are just different puppets dancin different dances but to the same chorus of the SAME PUPPET MASTER.

Dew....I don't think it is human nature...I think it is a weak will to follow others and then a realization that people can hide from life when high.

Believe it or not...there is a huge percentage of our population that do not go down the addict road. They manage to engage in reality.

My guess is Dew, that you spend a lot of time on your butt cheeks.

There are many safe ways to get high. Alas, they involve effort and moving one's body. Which, I suppose, is precisely the reality from which druggies are running. . . no pun intended.

Walking is free and requires no equipment or memberships. It's not just good for the body. It does wonderful things for the mind and soul as well. It stimulates the production of endogenous morphine commonly know as endorphins.

As an added bonus, it's not likely to introduce flesh-eating bacteria.

DewBlossoms

Does anybody ever stop to think about why....yes, WHY....people snort, drink, ingest, inject, inhale, or otherwise seek out a substance to change their perception of reality? Drinkers included here, let's all fess up, shall we?

Could it be....drum roll....that it might be human nature which causes people to want to get high?

Shouldn't we be....drum roll....working at developing safe ways to do just that?

Totally agree. We are driven to experience altered states of consciousness...but there are plenty of ways to do that which do not involve ingesting anything.

Meditation is one way. Going for a brisk walk or jog, going to an amusement park and riding the roller coaster; heck, just spinning in a circle are all ways to change consciousness, help us relax and cope with stress.

We humans do need to find safe and effective ways to counter boredom and stress, ways that do not harm us or others.

Well as a society we could acknowledge that the average human being has a prediliction towards vice be it drugs prostitution what have U, but we r so busy sitting in glass houses throwing stones that these so-called "vices" will always exist in a shadowy , dangerous sub-culture..It's called hypocrisy and that is what is ruling America these days."shrugs"..

jkatze,

you are a perfect example of people "assuming" incorrectly. As ShandiX said....you live in a glass house. You have no idea who I am and what I do....so stfu. Ass=ume.

I am not trying to berate anybody here. I am a student of human behavior, and I'm just saying....alcohol, opium, mushrooms, etc have been around for thousands of years and people have abused drugs and alcohol for thousands of years. It's just something people do. Seriously.

The "religious morality" that has been baked and brainwashed into so many people want you high on God. Apparently it's ok to substitute "blind faith" for "drugs" without derision by your neighbor. Sorry, I don't subscribe to religion, either. Go ahead, berate me for that now.

Right now marijuana is the safest substance out there, or so it would seem, seeing how the giant, ever-important "powers that be" will not give researchers the right to study it.

I am sick and tired of being told what to do by people that are not only dumber than rocks, but hypocrites on top of it.

What in the world is wrong with the idea of seeking a "happy pill"? Quite frankly, it seems to me that a lot of people's reality just plain sucks....who wouldn't want a diversion?

Observation:

I've noticed that many folks think that ANY drug use is abuse. I don't buy that. Drug use that prevents the ability to function is abuse. Yes, "the ability to function" is subjective and also relative.

NorthernLights.....very insightful observation! ( Please feel free to join me in the sanity circle, LOL!)

So true....Everyone has vices, everyone has "sins". If I remember correctly, "Pride" is one of the 7 deadly sins. And boy howdy, have we seen ALOT of THAT today!

Your post is right on...thank you! Thank you to you ,too, Dew...you really hit the nail on the head!

I don't know what precise role Jean has in ER but I do know all those jobs are stressful. They people who perform are humans who have a finite capacity for mediating stress.

Each person needs to find a healthy way to decompress. Letting rip here is a safe way for Jean to dump at lot of that stress.

I save my compasion for the multitude of those people whio are SCREWED due to no fault of their own. Not due to their OWN bad CHOICES. LOL!

@Mac: Are you sure you're a nurse? I have a really hard time believing that.

If you really are a nurse, you're in the wrong line of work.

I'm putting in an application to med-school next week, I really hope I never have to work with anybody with that kind of attitude towards any patient.

I ain't be no nurse. Just a ole farmer who gits up at the break of dawn and work till dark. I stop in and hit these keyes while I grab some food or take a break. Da real world is hard. Americans will figure it out once the global economy crashes IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. THEN THEIR WILL BE SOME CHOICES TO BE MADE. lol!

Mac - AMEN! A bit sorry that most won't know how to cope or provide for themself or family.

OMG...I went out and pulled up Russian crocodile and that is horrible!!!! The graphic pictures of their limbs should be enough that NO ONE would ever consider trying it. Ickkkkk

NO Freaking Kidding!!!! Just looked at some pics of it too! Freakin' horrifying. Thought I would puke. Gonna show those pics to my 19 & 20 year old daughters and 17 year old son. A quick look at that nightmare should be enough to make anybody think injecting any kinda drug is a bad, bad, idea. You all go look at it now maybe some opinions will change. DRUGS ARE BADDD. (and not in the cool way)

All drugs have side effects. Even marijuana. Nothing's "free" :P

Life has side effects, too.

REad some recent research on pot. Some positive effects and some negative. Alot depends on how much you use and what you are using it for. Street pot is dangerous you don't know where it came from or what its' laced with. If you have a medical reason for it is the only good reason I see to use it. And not some faked up joke reason just to get a script to get high.

It should be legal period. What if people just want to use it as a better and safer alternative to alcohol? Considering that it's not very harmful why should people need a medical reason to get high on it?

If U had a brain in ur head ludivinedeflot, u would know that drug use is simply not relegated to the "lower classes" or people who live in the "bad " part of town, some of the celebrities u love and admire and put on a pdestal are abject drug addicts as well..

Yes, but flesh eating bacteria would probably be from a contaminated needle. Not saying drug use isn't bad/dangerous/stupid/whatever, but the bottom line is that it was not the drug itself that did this.

Chris, it could have just as likely been in the drugs from the packaging. Like I said this stuff is made and package in bathrooms were there are a heck of a lot of staff germs.

I guess I can't disagree. The stuff isn't sterile. Even if the creators were the most conscientious producers of it, it's typically designed for smoking or otherwise partaking, not injecting, and therefore wouldn't even need to be sterile. Add to that what you're saying--that they're not the most conscientious people around--and yeah...

While I agree, there are many benefits to legalize dugs, there are some dangers to consider. Before I continue, let me say that I have been saying we should legalize drugs for a long time. It may never happen for one reason alone... Someone gets high, legally, and gets behind the wheel of a car or plays with a gun and kills someone. It is not just the user that will suffer from this. However, I believe it could be regulated much like alcohol. Not great, but regulated. The government will make a lot of money. Pharmacology companies would make a lot of money. The addicts will thin themselves out and we would have less of a problem. The judicial system would be less crowded, though not as much as you think. There would be more civil and criminal cases involving injury and death to innocent people. Just some food for though.

I don't know how this reply ended up on the wrong thread.

Glass half full. Roger that.Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Figured I'd be receiveing some anonymous love notes.

You would hope this scares the woman from ever doing drugs.

Unfortunately, I don't see this scaring her straight.

You gonna level insults at me for having a realist outlook toward this situation Rick Day?

I've never killed anyone. How many kids have YOU killed today bub?

Pissant!

Partiots 35 Ravens 17

more like:

Patriots 17 Ravens 35

that was funny though.

She is probably already on welfare! Will probably spend her FEMA trailer settlement money on more of the stuff.

In which case your remark is intentionally inflammatory.

I hope for your sake you never make a bad decision that haunts you for the rest of your life like getting hooked on a substance does.

Chris, We ALL make bad decisions. I've made a lot of dem. But ya gotta pay for them sonner or latter. As John Wayne would say, "Boy, life is hard, It's even harder when ya STUPID!" LOL!

I see the "Just Say No" propaganda campaign demonizing substance users has worked well on the younger generations.

Your OverLords are pleased.

Rick, while I appreciate your right to free speech, and I appreciate that you and I have different views on a great many things (Judging by your responses on this thread), that is okay. I don't judge you for that. However, If you were to put in a 50 hour work week, you would deserve to get paid, correct? If you saved that money to buy a car, you should be able to do that, right? Finally, if you bought a car, you would expect to be able to drive it, right? What I am trying to say is that every action has an outcome. The statements you are making on this thread make it seem that you would expect to take responsibility for your actions when the outcomes are favorable. However, you seem to be insinuating that if you make a mistake, it is okay to not learn from it, but rather it becomes someone else's problem to have to fix for you. I am not saying this is how you feel or this is true, but that is the impression you are painting. I am a compassionate man and very giving. I do a lot for my community and family. However, if I mess up, it is my responsibility to make it right and learn a lesson from it, no matter how bad that lesson may be. I do not expect, nor would I demand that someone else fix my problems. This is the mentality that is driving our nation down in it's current cycle. There is a definite feeling of entitlement coming from the younger generations (I am from gen x) that our grandparents never knew. They would have smacked the crap out of the youth of today.

Rick, take it from someone who's put himself through a few years of heavy drug use,

people should, "Just Say NO!"

What's next? Dancing on a land mine for fun?

you are not worth it!

When this young lady wakes up and realize's what has been done to her body will go into a phase of sorry for herself. I would bet on an overdose with-in 6 month's.