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Woman contracts flesh-eating bacteria in zip-line accident
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Description
Dr. Richard Firshein explains
- Duration 4:33
- Date May 10, 2012
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Transcript
This transcript is automatically generated
New developments now in a horrific story of a young woman fighting for her life in Georgia.
As of yesterday 24 year old Amy Copeland was hospitalized in critical condition because of an infection from me flesh eating bacteria.
She has already had one leg radically amputated and at one point in the went into cardiac arrest they're saying her prognosis right now is very Graham.
How could this happen.
Doctor Richard for Shane is it as an author and director -- the first and center -- comprehensive at Madison dot.
She went on one of those you know -- what is it plots right she was.
Go to the -- -- -- -- try it snapped a cutter leg and it was a gash she went that's 22 stitches how do you go from -- yes you leg getting it stitched up.
To.
Now having a grim prognosis on your life -- Is this is a tragic story this is a young girl goes out for an adventure one day.
Falls off -- -- line concert house she ends up in the hospital 22 stitches.
The doctors.
Put -- on pain medicine she comes back to the hospital the next day.
In excruciating pain -- in the early signs of a condition we call their advertising fashion -- -- About ten to 151000.
People a year are diagnosed with this condition that otherwise known as -- as flesh eating bacteria that many.
But it's caused by a number of different bacteria in this case we believe.
That it was caused by a water -- -- bacteria.
It's called -- innocence and this particular problem very uncommon but found in in streams and water.
So was over the river it was an -- this adopt a creek in Carrollton Georgia I mean are -- more likely to get it if you're swimming in a creek or you know body of water that doesn't.
Move as much as this.
I guess but you can still you can still get -- there's an open -- in your body and your -- compromise for some reasons -- -- events evidence indicated she was a compromised individual but if someone has diabetes -- -- -- -- 24 year old healthy girl no reason for it.
But in this case the bacteria got under her skin and one suspect Terry gets under your skin against the name flesh eating because it releases of what's called an axle talks and that spreads through the skin destroys the tissue and then the infection spreads through the -- Eight yeah that was want to ask you about that because they cut off her leg at the hip high hit invitation -- so.
How does why why wasn't that the end of the matter.
Well once it spreads through the -- the infection can spread to other parts of the body and at this point the surgeons are considering amputating other.
Areas of -- body as well on our arms for instance might be might being problem next -- so this is.
-- -- at preventing this I mean if if it -- -- people out there I would just cut themselves need dornin.
151000 years I'll take a lot but in the grand scheme of the American population it's not how we prevent this well it.
It's serious enough to two to 3000 people die from this particular problem every year.
It if you are exposed or you you have a gastric cut it's important to keep it very clean and antibiotic solution on it.
The most common causes of flesh eating bacteria caused by -- two other sources of money is typical strep infection can actually get into the under the skin and cause a problem so that's that's an problems second -- -- MRSA.
Which is -- resistant staph and that's caused by overuse of antibiotics and so what people need to do is make sure that they -- get wound.
Clean the wound very carefully if they have diabetes or compromised take extra care.
And make sure that if states are experiencing -- the symptoms of flesh eating bacteria which is extreme pain changing coloration around we are being the injury was -- black where you notice -- comes losing our policy.
Make sure you go to your doctor immediately they can do cultures and has to monitor it.
Before -- Don't you think it -- -- she went to the hospital wouldn't they have dinner antibiotics -- something for a gash in the lead 22 stitches.
-- it -- looking for some way to comfort you know our viewers who wind up in a similar situation or an hour after what worry about this.
Well they may have done all of those things that are needed but once the infection spread as many of these bacteria are not susceptible to ordinary antibiotic you need intravenous antibiotics once that problem happened so.
Doctors need to be very aware of -- patients should be aware of it.
And again those extreme situations where someone has a problem like that notices those kinds of changes and also experiences.
Feeling the worst they've ever felt in their life fever chills and also notice that they have that.
That change that occurs extreme pain those -- the warning signs that this is much more serious than they thought that.
I said pershing is a first time to shine I don't think I've got my -- -- -- they got there -- certain -- everybody here nor is it just an aggregate thank you.
