Was asked to clarify the republication of the post about my mother.
Question
You said your mother caught MRSA in the hospital. But later in your story you say her test came back negative. If she caught it in the hospital and was in isolation, hadn't the hospital already done a test to determine her infection status?
Sorry to revisit this but your story needs further clarification.
Response
Because the infection of the patients on the floor was spreading, all the patients on the floor were tested every 3 days including my mom. During her stay, the 4th blood test which came back was positive and triggered the Isolation MSRA sign on her door with a cart of disposable gloves and gowns. She was treated with the standard protocol and tested every 3 days.
However, before the results of the last followup test to see if the MRSA infection was no longer active, the hospital discharged her. Without the lab verification as to the status of the MRSA infection, the number of facilities that accept patients with active MRSA was very limited.
So if the test results could have been completed within the 24 hours after the blood was drawn, she would have been able to go to St. Patrick's. What made it worse was the blood was drawn on Thursday after samples had already been sent to the outside laboratory facility. They arrived at the lab on Friday close of business where they sat until Monday and results completed on Wednesday and sent back to the hospital Thursday. one week later.
Many of the hospitals no longer do their own lab work. Dialysis centers are even worse. My mom's dialysis blood tests were sent to California.
I learned so much during this process, that I now ask which tests hospitals don't do, but send out. If other facilities where treatments are given and specimens collected don't do their own lab work, and it is sent out of state, I look for another facility.
In an emergency these are things you don't know when you walk in the door. Do your research before you are in an emergency situation. Check out your hospitals. One hospital where my daughter lives in Indiana has no surgeon on staff. They share with three other hospitals. It can take two hours or more for the surgeon to get there if he is not already in surgery working on someone.
If you don't become proactive, your life may very well hang in the balance when there is no need.
Question
You said your mother caught MRSA in the hospital. But later in your story you say her test came back negative. If she caught it in the hospital and was in isolation, hadn't the hospital already done a test to determine her infection status?
Sorry to revisit this but your story needs further clarification.
Response
Because the infection of the patients on the floor was spreading, all the patients on the floor were tested every 3 days including my mom. During her stay, the 4th blood test which came back was positive and triggered the Isolation MSRA sign on her door with a cart of disposable gloves and gowns. She was treated with the standard protocol and tested every 3 days.
However, before the results of the last followup test to see if the MRSA infection was no longer active, the hospital discharged her. Without the lab verification as to the status of the MRSA infection, the number of facilities that accept patients with active MRSA was very limited.
So if the test results could have been completed within the 24 hours after the blood was drawn, she would have been able to go to St. Patrick's. What made it worse was the blood was drawn on Thursday after samples had already been sent to the outside laboratory facility. They arrived at the lab on Friday close of business where they sat until Monday and results completed on Wednesday and sent back to the hospital Thursday. one week later.
Many of the hospitals no longer do their own lab work. Dialysis centers are even worse. My mom's dialysis blood tests were sent to California.
I learned so much during this process, that I now ask which tests hospitals don't do, but send out. If other facilities where treatments are given and specimens collected don't do their own lab work, and it is sent out of state, I look for another facility.
In an emergency these are things you don't know when you walk in the door. Do your research before you are in an emergency situation. Check out your hospitals. One hospital where my daughter lives in Indiana has no surgeon on staff. They share with three other hospitals. It can take two hours or more for the surgeon to get there if he is not already in surgery working on someone.
If you don't become proactive, your life may very well hang in the balance when there is no need.
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