Most all of us carry opportunistic bacteria in our upper respiratory and upper/lower digestive tract. These bacteria can quickly become pathogens given the right circumstances - i.e. illness. Ever notice how many people develop secondary infections after a course of antibiotics? Most antibiotics given these days are broad spectrum, and end up killing most all the bacteria in our bodies, good and bad. Commensal bacteria are normal flora and actually help us prevent infection by competing for the same space and resources that the potentially bad bacteria are looking for, which is why it's important to maintain a healthy immune system to preserve that delicate balance.

Washing your hands is VERY important, but remember that it only rids your hands of transient bacteria/viruses, and does little in the way of killing bugs that are normally present. Germicidal soaps/hand cleansers - NOT antibacterial soaps mind you - actually kill the bugs. Avagard makes a nice product line of germicidal hand cleansers used by most hospitals.

So true. My dad was one of the unlucky thousands who contracted polio back before the vaccine. He's suffered his whole life because of it. He still has nightmares about row after row of children in iron lungs. He just about freaked when he heard about the new polio outbreaks in Iowa and Wisconson.

Safe people forget about real monsters.

-Blast

It is a scary thought that people aren't vaccinating their children... herd immunity only works as long as a majority of the population is being vaccinated.

Thank you, Ironraven! As one of those heavy-book toting doctors of pharmacy, I appreciate when non-professionals speak wisdom! I have hope yet!

Even if you happen to be an M.D., my dad (a splendid physician) had a good saying: A doctor who treats himself has a fool for a doctor and a fool for a patient.

I like that most of our clinic docs write prescriptions for each other. It is a nice professional nod of ethics and respect. And if they, the pros, are careful, how much more careful should we all be who AREN'T M.D.'s!

Wow. I remember in 1997 speaking with one of my microbiologist professors about the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic. I said so many people died d/t bacterial pneumonia. He said, nope, the people died too fast for that to be the explanation. I'm glad that it appears the former was true. We have a much better antibiotic armamentarium now, and along with the bird vaccine, should be fairly well prepared for it when (not if) it hits. It will still cost this country tons of money to treat it, and deaths will still be horrid in underdeveloped countries, but when it comes, the best place will be either an island without air service or the good ole' U.S. of A.

The demographics of the dead are interesting. We'd expect either viral influenza or bacterial pneumonia to kill the young and old preferentially, but it appears that young adults [age 20-40] died at far greater rates, something like forty times greater, than can be fully explained by the component of military servicemen's being exposed under unfavorable conditions. The elderly could have enjoyed partial resistance due to exposure during some prior flu epidemic, I suppose. But that doesn't explain why children, normally far more vulnerable, faired so much better than young adults.

Jeff

Good point. I think it is still a very scary and misunderstood event. And just because it acted that way is 1918 doesn't mean it can't mutate to some other variant. If any of you studied microbiology, you'll know how many eight (it was eight, wasn't it?) different strands can intermix and mutate in the flu virus. Spooky!

Thanks for the link Blast.



In terms of keeping in personal and family inventory, you're so right Ironraven. I'm not comfortable storing antibiotics. It's natural to want to have some on hand, but which ones and how do you use them safely?

I don’t agree with this, if a person gets an infection and he happens to be a doctor, and he takes some meds he would prescribe to his patents for the same problem he’s a fool??? I don’t see how this makes a person a fool or reckless or that he’s engaging in anything even slightly dangerous.

Obviously a doctor can’t operate on himself, but if he has a minor problem that an antibiotic can fix, why not?

By itself, it's not an issue. But it is considered the first step on a vary dangerous path. You ought to see my case files re impaired and/or disciplined practitioners.

Jeff