Aquarist007
New member
sorry Mike--I am doing well--its just been hecktic here--thanksgiving and my wife's birthday..
Respect the lurking dangers of this great hobby
- Thread starter Aquarist007
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sorry Mike--I am doing well--its just been hecktic here--thanksgiving and my wife's birthday..
Aquarist007
New member
hmmm--I've had some lymph nodes and the prostrate removed due to cancer----I wonder if this is why I now got such an injury after surviving so many cuts, lacerations ect in the past.
what do you think Rae???
Aquarist007
New member
ever had a live rat from a science experiment crawl up your pants---that's a story for a different thread :eek2:
Aquarist007
New member
I was wondering about that--good you mentioned it.
Yet the other pair I posted seem like they would tear easy but definetely be more flexible for grabbing things
anyone else have suggestions for gloves??
Capt_Cully
Active member
Capn, glad to see you made it thru. What your post does not mention is that Streptococcus and Staphylococcus are present on the skin all the time. It is present as normal flora, along with a myriad of other bacteria. Thru a system of checks and balances by your immune system, infection is not an issue. When you get a Strep or Staph cellulitis it is what is called an opportunistic infection.
When a cut is introduced, some bacteria can get in there. Thourough hand washing will clean it out, hopefully. If enough bacteria has entered the wound site, it will proliferate uncontrollably. It is seizing the opportunity to multiply beyond it's normal numbers. The other flora that normally keeps it in check is not around to do so. Next thing you know.....infection of the skin=cellulitis. If untreated, some can be very aggressive as you have demonstrated. A combination of bacteria and immune cells=abcess/pus filled pocket. If things have progressed this far, it may be likely that it needs to be surgically debrided, or treated aggressively with IV antibiotics.
I'm just bringing all of this up because it seems unlikely to me that your Strep or Staph infection came from the fish tank. It's likely that the insult to the skin allowed the perfect environment for an opportunistic infection. Gram positive cocci, like these, LOVE a warm, damp, dark place to set up shop. I'm not sure gloves would have saved you on this one is the point I'm trying to make...I guess.....
Best you can do is a THOUROUGH inspection of any cuts sustained in the tank or rocks or dirty equipment. THOUROUGH hand washing and cleaning of the wound in a timely fashion is paramount. I'm not saying you didn't, because sometimes you can do everything right and still wind up with an infection. I suspect the type of Strep or Staph cultured from that wound was one of the more aggressive strains. Beta Hemolytic Group B perhaps or MSSA, or if the antibiotics were something called TMP/SMX, Zyvoxx, or Vancomycin, you may have been tusseling with MRSA.
Lastly, people who are currently under medical treatment for something as serious as cancer are usually on some radiation or chemotherapy regimens that leave their immune system tattered and on its heals. This is rendering them immunocompromised and therefore more succeptible to opportunistic infection.
I'm very glad you got out of the spiral of this infection before it became blood borne and potentially causing a life threatening condition called septicemia. Though Gram negative septicemia is much more life threatening, gram positive is nothing to sneaze at!
I think your post is right on in that we need to be careful with our hands!!! Clean your wounds THOUROUGHLY!!!! If something doesn't look right, or feel right, it is NEVER a bad idea to seek professional medical attention. You cannot put a price on your own health!!!!
Best wishes to all!
p.s. Capn, did you get a wound culture result on the culprit?
When a cut is introduced, some bacteria can get in there. Thourough hand washing will clean it out, hopefully. If enough bacteria has entered the wound site, it will proliferate uncontrollably. It is seizing the opportunity to multiply beyond it's normal numbers. The other flora that normally keeps it in check is not around to do so. Next thing you know.....infection of the skin=cellulitis. If untreated, some can be very aggressive as you have demonstrated. A combination of bacteria and immune cells=abcess/pus filled pocket. If things have progressed this far, it may be likely that it needs to be surgically debrided, or treated aggressively with IV antibiotics.
I'm just bringing all of this up because it seems unlikely to me that your Strep or Staph infection came from the fish tank. It's likely that the insult to the skin allowed the perfect environment for an opportunistic infection. Gram positive cocci, like these, LOVE a warm, damp, dark place to set up shop. I'm not sure gloves would have saved you on this one is the point I'm trying to make...I guess.....
Best you can do is a THOUROUGH inspection of any cuts sustained in the tank or rocks or dirty equipment. THOUROUGH hand washing and cleaning of the wound in a timely fashion is paramount. I'm not saying you didn't, because sometimes you can do everything right and still wind up with an infection. I suspect the type of Strep or Staph cultured from that wound was one of the more aggressive strains. Beta Hemolytic Group B perhaps or MSSA, or if the antibiotics were something called TMP/SMX, Zyvoxx, or Vancomycin, you may have been tusseling with MRSA.
Lastly, people who are currently under medical treatment for something as serious as cancer are usually on some radiation or chemotherapy regimens that leave their immune system tattered and on its heals. This is rendering them immunocompromised and therefore more succeptible to opportunistic infection.
I'm very glad you got out of the spiral of this infection before it became blood borne and potentially causing a life threatening condition called septicemia. Though Gram negative septicemia is much more life threatening, gram positive is nothing to sneaze at!
I think your post is right on in that we need to be careful with our hands!!! Clean your wounds THOUROUGHLY!!!! If something doesn't look right, or feel right, it is NEVER a bad idea to seek professional medical attention. You cannot put a price on your own health!!!!
Best wishes to all!
p.s. Capn, did you get a wound culture result on the culprit?
Aquarist007
New member
thanks limitdown
do you have a link to the Steven Pro's article---I'd be interested in reading it.
Aquarist007
New member
thanks for posting--this is exactly the kind of feedback I like to read
good luck with this exciting hobby and keep posting
Aquarist007
New member
thank you for the informed and detailed rely. I will certainly add it to my blog so others can understand the whole picture.
who knows what is in this--one of the maintance things I did over the course of the weekend before I noticed I had cut myself
Capt_Cully
Active member
If you can, it'd be worth while to see if the MD cultured the wound, and what it grew out. That would give you the info needed to determine if it was an endogenous or exogenous microorganism that caused the cellulitis.
I'm very glad you posted this thread. Sometimes people don't get the picture until they see a PICTURE! If that doesn't scare people into taking more precautions I don't know what will.
Again, glad you're OK. Hope you stay that way for a LOOOOOONG time. I sincerely appreciate the in depth threads you write, and have gained much info from you. :thumbsup:
I'm very glad you posted this thread. Sometimes people don't get the picture until they see a PICTURE! If that doesn't scare people into taking more precautions I don't know what will.
Again, glad you're OK. Hope you stay that way for a LOOOOOONG time. I sincerely appreciate the in depth threads you write, and have gained much info from you. :thumbsup:
Aquarist007
New member
Right back at you---I appreciate your indepth output here equally
I know they didn't do any blood work ect in the emerge. As soon as I mentioned urchin stings , marine tanks ect it was standard procedure--intervenous and oral applications of antibiotics--I assume the toxins are so broad and the learning who have to be so specialized that they just follow a standard procedure for handling them "on mass"
limitdown
New member
Here's the link to Steven Pro's article. Warning, the pics are gross.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-07/sp/feature/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-07/sp/feature/index.php
Aquarist007
New member
thanks--that's a keeper---I'll add it to my blog as soon as I can
ser_renely
Active member
wow, glad you are ok....scary.
hi cappy, i bought those gloves like in the picture since your post, the coralife ones that go up my arms. they really smell funny and now i'm nervous to put em in the tank. does anyone else own these and noticed the same thing? i'm soaking them now but the smell doesn't wanna go away....
xoxompty
xoxompty
