OT - 5 confirmed cases of the superbug at the Civic Hospital Ottawa

even when there isn't an outbreak that is announced, these antibiotic resistent 'bugs' are always around in the hospitals.  One thing for sure that is certainly noticeable is the dirty conditions of the hospitals...it amazes me.  I was in the hospital for 3 days and my bed wasn't changed once! my sister in law was in for 7 and her bed wasn't chaned once. They always cut back in the lower paying jobs, but the most crucial jobs....on staff cleaning...they contract out now.  It was much better when it was done by the hospital staff...nothing against the cleaning companies, but the hospital staff had the specialized training and exposure and working relationship with the nurses etc...
and not to mention the poor nurses who pretty much run the show, and are run off their feet.
I'm sure a few corners are cut here and there to quicken their times, human nature.  But things have sure deteriorated in that dept.  I had my surgery July 2010 and have to say the Trauma Unit of the Civic Campus where the bariatric surgery patients are kept, is quite clean in comparison to the rest of the areas, it's newer, it's more high tech.  Less problems than the rest of the hospital..and I had no health problems during my stay.  And it's not mostly elderly, if you contract it you contract it, I know 2 people that went in the hospital for one thing and came out with another part of their body amputated, one co-worker went in for breast surgery and came out short a leg!  young and healthy otherwise.  Scarey stuff!  Unfortunately, it's the times we live in and we have to take precautions.

I'm always pretty disgusted when I am in the hospital. When I had my twins, I was in for about 5 days. My bed wasn't changed once (despite the fact that I had bled a bit on it) and I remember seeing a cleaner come in with a disgusting looking mop and pail. I wondered how something so gross could be used to clean a floor. I also remember when I was in labour, I noticed what appeared be either barf or poop on the wall by the toilet. I almost threw up myself when I saw that!

Anyone can contract any of the super bugs, C-diff, MRSA or VRE, a healthy adult may not show symptoms though. The elderly and immune system compromised people are more likely to be symptomatic and die from complications. Generally it won't slow down surgeries unless because of patients being in isolation rooms and they can't be moved the hospital runs out of bed. I've been on wards where a 4 person room was taken up by one person in isolation because they didn't have a private or semi private room to move to.