Highly resistant bacteria in France

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In summary, a bacteria resistant to most antibiotics is on the rise in diverse hospitals in northern France, with 18 deaths recorded out of 112 patients since summer. This bacteria is Acinetobacter baumannii and without proper regulations and new drugs, the situation may worsen. The conversation also touches on the topic of the heat-related deaths of over 12,000 elderly people in France, which was attributed to a combination of high temperatures and understaffed nursing homes due to the yearly vacations of healthcare workers.
  • #1
Monique
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In diverse hospitals in the north of France a bacteria resistant against almost all antibiotics is on the rise. Of the 112 patients since summer, 18 have died.

The pathogen is Acinetobacter baumannii.


And this is just the start if we don't come up with some good antibiotic regulations and some new drugs.
 
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  • #2
Damn you, co-evolution. :frown:

- Warren
 
  • #3
I smell another SARS style news frenzy coming up...

Then again, over 5,000 French people died from slightly above average New York summer temperatures, so who knows, maybe this is just another indication of French inferiority...
 
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  • #4
5,000? You forgot the 1: it was 15,000 at least. Don't forget we don't have airconditioning in houses here in Europe, in NY they do and are thus better prepaired to deal with such situations.
 
  • #5
Originally posted by Monique
5,000? You forgot the 1: it was 15,000 at least. Don't forget we don't have airconditioning in houses here in Europe, in NY they do and are thus better prepaired to deal with such situations.

Ok, I understand that a large amount of the people who died were sick/elderly/infants, but if all those deaths aren't a sign of the physical inferiority of the french people, then it's a clear indication of inferiority of the french govt. It really wouldn't have been that hard to do quite a bit of things to help out people.

They could have imported air conditioners and set up the extra power lines and saved quite a bit of the people in cities and large suburbs.

They could have given large public areas like libraries and recreation centers air conditioning and told people to spend their time there if they were in high risk categories during the day.

They could have done a lot of things that a government has the power, money and ingenuity to do when thousands of their citizens are in danger that a 15 year old kid can't think of off the top of his head.

I'd certainly hope that the govt of france and any other simmilarly afflicted countries would have made it one of the foremost parts of their agendas to prepare their country for any future summers which might reach temperatures that are commonly reached and exceded in america and result in only a few hundred (if even that many) heat related deaths nationally.
 
  • #6
Perhaps in france the temperatures ever reached that high .. thus no need to prepare for such situations.

And no offence wasteofo2, I just found it amusing that your solution is so much akin to the old joke that went along the lines of "Global warming? Why don't we just turn on all the airconditioners! "
 
  • #7
THE FACT THAT over twelve thousand elderly died can be traced to two main triggering events.

One, the temperature, which rarely goes above 100 went above 100.

Two, Many of the health care workers and personell and the general population , all take their vacations in august.

Eighty percent of the elderly died in understaffed nursing homes, the others at home where their children had left them unattended.

The nursing homes were understaffed due to the yearly vacations.

The one benefit of the overly litiginous malpractice environment of the US is that no area , wether nursing home, hospital, private practice etc. allows their majority health care personell or doctors to take their vacations en masse and thus become lacking for personelle coverage. This will probably be a policy now in France and other European countries where such cross coverage liability has never been seen as an issue. Remember, the elderly have lost almost all ability to sense thirst and their thermoregulatory mechanisms are impaired which makes them more susceptible to dehydration and heat exhaustion unless someone is pushing fluids and monitoring them for over heating.
 
  • #8
Originally posted by adrenaline
THE FACT THAT over twelve thousand elderly died can be traced to two main triggering events.

One, the temperature, which rarely goes above 100 went above 100.

Two, Many of the health care workers and personell and the general population , all take their vacations in august.

Eighty percent of the elderly died in understaffed nursing homes, the others at home where their children had left them unattended.

The nursing homes were understaffed due to the yearly vacations.

The one benefit of the overly litiginous malpractice environment of the US is that no area , wether nursing home, hospital, private practice etc. allows their majority health care personell or doctors to take their vacations en masse and thus become lacking for personelle coverage. This will probably be a policy now in France and other European countries where such cross coverage liability has never been seen as an issue. Remember, the elderly have lost almost all ability to sense thirst and their thermoregulatory mechanisms are impaired which makes them more susceptible to dehydration and heat exhaustion unless someone is pushing fluids and monitoring them for over heating.

jeez, that's even worse, they're all so concentrated that it really wouldn't have been that hard to put air conditioners in the windows...
 

1. What is the current situation regarding highly resistant bacteria in France?

As of 2021, the prevalence of highly resistant bacteria in France is a major concern for public health authorities. According to the latest data, around 12% of all bacteria in France are now resistant to multiple types of antibiotics, making it more difficult to treat infections and increasing the risk of spreading these bacteria to other patients.

2. How do bacteria become highly resistant in the first place?

Highly resistant bacteria are the result of genetic mutations that occur over time. These mutations can be spontaneous or acquired through exposure to antibiotics. Bacteria that are able to survive and multiply in the presence of antibiotics will pass on their resistant traits to their offspring, leading to the development of highly resistant strains.

3. What are the main causes of the increase in highly resistant bacteria in France?

The main cause of the increase in highly resistant bacteria in France is the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. This can happen in both human and animal healthcare settings, as well as in the agricultural industry. When antibiotics are used too frequently or inappropriately, bacteria have more opportunities to develop resistance. Additionally, the lack of new antibiotics being developed also contributes to the problem.

4. How does the presence of highly resistant bacteria impact patient care in France?

The presence of highly resistant bacteria makes it more difficult to treat infections, as these bacteria are resistant to multiple types of antibiotics. This can lead to longer hospital stays and higher treatment costs. In severe cases, infections caused by highly resistant bacteria may be untreatable, leading to serious health complications and even death.

5. What measures are being taken to address the issue of highly resistant bacteria in France?

The French government has implemented a national action plan to combat the spread of highly resistant bacteria. This includes promoting the appropriate use of antibiotics, improving infection control in healthcare settings, and investing in research for new antibiotics. Additionally, healthcare professionals are being encouraged to use rapid diagnostics to identify antibiotic-resistant bacteria and prescribe the most effective treatment.

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