Are you planning a wedding in the near future? If so, Congratulations!
But if the medical examination pranikah had been in one of your busy schedule before the wedding?
IF NOT, JADWALKANLAH IMMEDIATE ... .!!!!
Almost every person wants happiness households will dijalaninya.Salah one important factor will determine the happiness of marriage is your health, because if one of both of you have any health problems, not the happiness felt by dependable seutuhnya.
According to WHO, the family is a quality I do harmonious family, the reason the family is in the physical, psychological, social, spiritual. Therefore advisable to conduct medical examination before entering the stage in order to realize the family wedding I qualified.
Premarital Panel Definitions (Health Check Up Pranikah)
Panel is a group of premarital examination laboratory to ensure the health status of the two prospective bridegroom, especially to detect the disease, chronic or derived resoluble affect health and fertility pair fetus.
Is Making Premarital Health Examination?
Very Please With pranikah health checks do you actually have made a pair and preventive action, especially the problem of the possibility of reproductive health (fertility) and genetics (offspring) of each.
With the condition know as early as possible each and will be easier for you in prevention efforts do you may cause miscarriage or aberration even for your descendants.
What is Keep Reviewed?
• The state of your health both in general
• diabetes affect pregnancy and weather are decreased
• Hepatitis B become serious health problems do, both for penderitanya and their families.
• Diseases such as the descendants of the other Thalassemia, hemofilia. Both can be derived through marriage or with their pengidapnya emulative carrier.
• Rhesus blood group incompatibility.
• There is not the result Relationships Sexual Diseases.
When Health Inspection should be done?
There is no certainty you strictly a matter of waktu.Akan but ideally, medical examination conducted pranikah held six months before the wedding. Pertimbangannya, if there is something of a problem on the medical examination, both candidates memmpelai, there is still enough time for counseling or treatment of disease suffered.
Size was also flexible. This means pranikah health checks can be made at any time during the marriage has not lasted.
Premarital Panel
1. Hematologi Routine
2. Urine Rutine
3. Blood Type (A, B, O) and Rhesus
4. Glucosa Fasting
5. HBsAg
6. VDRL / RPR
7. Blood picture edges
8. Anti-Rubella IgG, Anti Toxoplasma IgG, Anti-CMV IgG
Jumat, 06 Maret 2009
Selasa, 25 November 2008
Dark Chocolate Is Healthy Chocolate Dark Chocolate Has Health Benefits Not Seen in Other Varieties
Aug. 27, 2003 -- Got high blood pressure? Try a truffle. Worried about heart disease? Buy a bon-bon.
It's the best medical news in ages. Studies in two prestigious scientific journals say dark chocolate -- but not white chocolate or milk chocolate -- is good for you.
Dark Chocolate Lowers Blood Pressure
Dark chocolate -- not white chocolate -- lowers high blood pressure, say Dirk Taubert, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Cologne, Germany. Their report appears in the Aug. 27 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.
But that's no license to go on a chocolate binge. Eating more dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure -- if you've reached a certain age and have mild high blood pressure, say the researchers. But you have to balance the extra calories by eating less of other things.
Antioxidants in Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate -- but not milk chocolate or dark chocolate eaten with milk -- is a potent antioxidant, report Mauro Serafini, PhD, of Italy's National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome, and colleagues. Their report appears in the Aug. 28 issue of Nature. Antioxidants gobble up free radicals, destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments.
"Our findings indicate that milk may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate ... and may therefore negate the potential health benefits that can be derived from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate."
Translation: Say "Dark, please," when ordering at the chocolate counter. Don't even think of washing it down with milk. And if health is your excuse for eating chocolate, remember the word "moderate" as you nibble.
The Studies
Taubert's team signed up six men and seven women aged 55-64. All had just been diagnosed with mild high blood pressure -- on average, systolic blood pressure (the top number) of 153 and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) of 84.
Every day for two weeks, they ate a 100-gram candy bar and were asked to balance its 480 calories by not eating other foods similar in nutrients and calories. Half the patients got dark chocolate and half got white chocolate.
Those who ate dark chocolate had a significant drop in blood pressure (by an average of 5 points for systolic and an average of 2 points for diastolic blood pressure). Those who ate white chocolate did not.
In the second study, Serafini's team signed up seven healthy women and five healthy men aged 25-35. On different days they each ate 100 grams of dark chocolate by itself, 100 grams of dark chocolate with a small glass of whole milk, or 200 grams of milk chocolate.
An hour later, those who ate dark chocolate alone had the most total antioxidants in their blood. And they had higher levels of epicatechin, a particularly healthy compound found in chocolate. The milk chocolate eaters had the lowest epicatechin levels of all.
Jumat, 10 Oktober 2008
Rabies
Know before you go!
Infectious diseases not necessarily common in Canada can occur and may even be widespread in other countries. Standards of hygiene and medical care may differ from those at home. Before departure, you should learn about the health conditions in the country or countries you plan to visit, your own risk of disease and the steps you can take to prevent illness.
The risk is yours
Your risk of acquiring a disease depends on several factors. They include: your age, gender, immunization status and current state of health; your itinerary, duration and style of travel (e.g., first class, adventure) and anticipated travel activities (e.g., animal contact, exposure to fresh water, sexual contact); as well as the local disease situation.
Risk assessment consultation
The Public Health Agency of Canada strongly recommends that your travel plans include contacting a travel medicine clinic or physician 6 to 8 weeks before departure. Based on your individual risk assessment, a health care professional can determine your need for immunizations and/or preventive medication (prophylaxis) and advise you on precautions to avoid disease.
Some facts from the experts
The information below has been developed and is updated in consultation with Public Health Agency of Canada's Committee to Advise on Tropical Medicine and Travel (CATMAT). The recommendations are intended as general advice about the prevention of measles for Canadians travelling internationally.
Disease profile |
Rabies is a viral infection of animals that can be transmitted to humans. It is caused by a virus of the Rhabdoviridae family, which attacks the central nervous system and eventually affects the brain. The virus is usually found in the saliva of an infected animal. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms occur.
Transmission
Rabies can occur in any warm-blooded animal, domestic and wild. Commonly, rabies has been transmitted to humans from dogs, cats, foxes, raccoons, skunks, monkeys, wolves and bats. As well, animals having potential interactions with people such as cattle, horses and deer can acquire rabies and may transmit the disease to humans.
The virus is transmitted through close contact with the saliva of infected animals, most often by a bite or scratch or by licks on broken skin or mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose or mouth. In very rare cases, person-to-person transmission has occurred when saliva droplets were dispersed in the air.
Injury to the upper body or face poses the greatest risk of transmission. The risk of children is estimated to be four times greater than adults, and boys are at greater risk than girls.
Geographic distribution and incidence trends |
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more deaths occur worldwide from rabies than from other common infections such as dengue fever, polio, meningococcal meningitis or Japanese encephalitis. Of the 50,000 human rabies deaths reported annually, it is estimated that over 30,000 deaths occur in the Indian Sub-Continent with most of the remaining cases occurring in South-East Asia (particularly, the Philippines), Africa and Latin America.
In most countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America, infected dogs are responsible for most of the rabies deaths. India has a dog population of 50 million. Thailand has 10 million dogs for its population of 58 million. In Bangkok it is estimated that one in 10 stray dogs is infected.
In developed countries, rabies is found mainly in wild animals, from which infection can spread to domestic animals and humans. In Canada, the incidence of human rabies has substantially decreased, which is associated with the increase of rabies vaccination in domestic animals. However, rabies among wildlife - especially bats, raccoons and skunks - has become more prevalent in North America.
Although rabies is rare in international travellers overall, a significant proportion of deaths caused by rabies is reported among people in the developed world who acquired the disease while travelling. Over a period of 17 years, 33% of rabies cases reported in the United States acquired their infection in other countries. The UK reported 12 cases of rabies over 20 years, 10 of which came from the Indian Sub-Continent. In France, 18 of the 19 cases of rabies reported over a 20-year period were acquired abroad, the vast majority in Africa. There has been one Canadian case of rabies acquired abroad in the seven decades since statistics have been kept.
Symptoms |
The time from exposure to first symptoms (i.e., incubation period) for rabies varies. It can be as short as 5 days, or as long as several years, usually taking 20 to 60 days. The first symptoms are usually non-specific, flu-like symptoms - fever, tiredness, headache that may last for a few days. In the acute stage, which quickly follows, an individual exhibits anxiety, confusion, insomnia, agitation, hallucinations and hyperactivity (furious rabies) or paralysis (dumb rabies). The acute period usually ends after 2 to 10 days. In both furious and dumb rabies, a complete paralysis develops, followed by coma. Death occurs during the first 7 days of illness without intensive care.
Testing and Treatment |
It is very important to act quickly if an individual thinks he/she may have been exposed to rabies. Treatment for rabies is effective, but only if an individual begins treatment early.
Immediately following an exposure to a suspected rabies carrier through a bite, scratch or lick, an individual should:
- vigorously wash and flush the wound or point of contact with soap and water and apply alcohol or iodine, if available
- seek medical attention for post-exposure vaccination and, if necessary, wound care.
Vaccines
One vaccine against rabies is licensed for use in Canada. The vaccine is very effective, causes few adverse reactions, and is fairly expensive. The vaccine provides immunity to rabies when administered for protection before an exposure (pre-exposure prophylaxis) or after an exposure (post-exposure prophylaxis).
1- Vaccination before travel
Pre-exposure vaccination includes three doses given over 1 month. If an individual is subsequently exposed to rabies, two further doses will be needed.Determining the need for pre-travel vaccination is complex: a personal risk assessment prior to travel will weigh an individual's risk of exposure with other factors such as itinerary, planned activities, rabies occurrence in countries to be visited, availability of vaccine in country of travel and the cost of the vaccine. Pre-exposure rabies vaccination is not usually recommended for the general traveller. It may be considered for those with the greatest risk of animal exposure, such as:
- veterinarians,
- farm workers,
- spelunkers (cave explorers),
- young children who may not understand the need to stay away from animals or to report any bite,
- travellers in areas of high rabies activity where there is limited access to post-exposure prophylaxis.
2- Vaccination following an exposure
If an individual was not vaccinated before travel with three doses, a full course of five vaccine doses, plus one dose of the rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) are needed following exposure. Both the vaccine and RIG can be hard to obtain in some developing countries.Once a post-exposure vaccine series has been started, the traveller should obtain as much information about the vaccine used as possible (e.g., manufacturer, type of doses, vaccination schedule used), so that treatment may continue without delay on his/her return to Canada. This information is important; without it, the traveller may have to restart the complete series, as partial vaccination may not prevent a fatal case of rabies.
Prevention and personal precautions |
Recommendations
Public Health Agency of Canada strongly recommends all travellers obtain an individual risk assessment from a physician or travel medicine clinic before departure to determine their particular risk for rabies exposure. The need for vaccination is difficult to assess. A thorough risk assessment takes into consideration a traveller's proposed activities and itinerary, the cost of the vaccine and the availability of the vaccine while travelling.
Public Health Agency of Canada further recommends that travellers take personal precautions to avoid rabies exposure by:
- avoiding direct contact with unfamiliar wild or domestic animals, especially dogs in developing countries;
- not handling, feeding, or unintentionally attracting wild animals with open garbage cans or litter;
- instructing children to avoid unfamiliar wild or domestic animals, even if they appear friendly;
- preventing bats from entering living quarters.
If exposed to a potentially rabid animal:
- wash the area or wound thoroughly with soap and water, and
- seek medical attention immediately.
Domestic pets may be a risk for rabies exposure. If travelling with a pet:
- keep pets' rabies vaccinations up-to-date;
- keep pets under tight control to avoid contact with wild and/or other animals.
If travellers encounter any difficulty in obtaining a post-exposure vaccine, they should contact the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate.
Some things to think about... |
Given the unpredictable nature of a potential rabies exposure, consider all stray animals to be infected with rabies and avoid contact. As well, be aware that should contact occur, treatment for rabies exposure is not available everywhere.
For more information...
-
For more Know before you go! information, click here.
-
For world rabies trends information provided by the WHO, go to CCDR Canada Communicable Disease Report - Volume 26-02, 15 January 2000.
-
Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response Division of the WHO offers more info on post-exposure treatment and surveillance
of rabies worldwide;
- To see essential rabies maps and listing of the most current global incidence rates for rabies, go to: Essential rabies maps
Mental Health
This site is designed to provide convenient access to a range of online materials related to the promotion of mental health, the planning, delivery, cost and evaluation of mental health programs and services in Canada, and the mental health issues, problems and disorders encountered by Canadians. The information is drawn from many areas within the Public Health Agency of Canada and other federal departments and agencies. Selected links to other sites are also included. Click on the menu categories for more information.
Nova Scotia Health Card (MSI)
Nova Scotia's Health Insurance Programs are designed to provide eligible residents with coverage for medically required hospital, medical, dental and optometric services with some restrictions.
The Medical Services Insurance Programs are administered by Medavie Blue Cross on behalf of the Nova Scotia government. The Department of Health provides policy direction for the programs. The Hospital Insurance Program is administered directly by the Department of Health. The cost of providing these services to Nova Scotians is met through the general revenues of the province. You pay no premiums.
Please carry your signed Nova Scotia Health Card with you at all times. You must present it to the physician and/or hospital each time you need insured hospital or physician services.
This website is designed to provide Nova Scotians with general information on the features and benefits of Nova Scotia Medical Services Insurance. Changes may be made from time to time.
Jumat, 05 September 2008
What is Vibrio
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a bacterium in the same family as those that cause cholera. It lives in brackish saltwater and causes gastrointestinal illness in humans. V. parahaemolyticus naturally inhabits coastal waters in the United States and Canada and is present in higher concentrations during summer; it is a halophilic, or salt-requiring organism.
Back to Top
What type of illness is caused by V. parahaemolyticus?
When ingested, V. parahaemolyticus causes watery diarrhea often with abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. Usually these symptoms occur within 24 hours of ingestion. Illness is usually self-limited and lasts 3 days. Severe disease is rare and occurs more commonly in persons with weakened immune systems. V. parahaemolyticus can also cause an infection of the skin when an open wound is exposed to warm seawater.
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How does infection with V. parahaemolyticus occur?
Most people become infected by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. Less commonly, this organism can cause an infection in the skin when an open wound is exposed to warm seawater.
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How common is infection with V. parahaemolyticus?
An estimated 4500 cases of V. parahaemolyticus infection occur each year in the United States. However, the number of cases reported to CDC is much lower because surveillance is complicated by underreporting. Laboratories rarely use the selective medium that is necessary to identify this organism, and it is likely that many cases are undetected. To improve our ability to monitor trends, infections caused by V. parahaemolyticus and other Vibrio species became nationally notifiable in 2007. State health departments report cases to CDC, and these reports are summarized annually.
Back to Top
How is V. parahaemolyticus infection diagnosed?
Vibrio organisms can be isolated from cultures of stool, wound, or blood. For isolation from stool, use of a selective medium that has thiosulfate, citrate, bile salts, and sucrose (TCBS agar) is recommended. If there is clinical suspicion for infection with this organism, the microbiology laboratory should be notified so that they will perform cultures using this medium. A physician should suspect V. parahaemolyticus infection if a patient has watery diarrhea and has eaten raw or undercooked seafood, especially oysters, or when a wound infection occurs after exposure to seawater.
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How is V. parahaemolyticus treated?
Treatment is not necessary in most cases of V. parahaemolyticus infection. There is no evidence that antibiotic treatment decreases the severity or the length of the illness. Patients should drink plenty of liquids to replace fluids lost through diarrhea. In severe or prolonged illnesses, antibiotics such as tetracycline or ciprofloxicin can be used. The choice of antibiotics should be based on antimicrobial susceptibilities of the organism.
Back to Top
How do oysters get contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus?
Vibrio is a naturally occurring organism commonly found in waters where oysters are cultivated. When the appropriate conditions occur with regard to salt content and temperature, V. parahaemolyticus thrives.
Back to Top
How is V. parahaemolyticus infection prevented?
Most infections caused by V. parahaemolyticus in the United States can be prevented by thoroughly cooking seafood, especially oysters. Wound infections can be prevented by avoiding exposure of open wounds to warm seawater. When an outbreak is traced to an oyster bed, health officials recommend closing the oyster bed until conditions are less favorable for V. parahaemolyticus.
Timely, voluntary reporting of V. parahaemolyticus infections to state health departments and to regional offices of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will help collaborative efforts to improve investigation of these infections. Regional FDA specialists with expert knowledge about shellfish assist state officials with tracebacks of shellfish. When notified rapidly about cases, officials can sample harvest waters to discover possible sources of infection and may close oyster beds. Ongoing research may help us to predict environmental or other factors that increase the chance that oysters carry Vibrios.
Back to Top
How can I learn more about Vibrio parahaemolyticus?
You can discuss medical concerns with your doctor or other health care provider. Your local health department can provide information about this and other public health problems. Information about problems associated with raw seafood consumption can be obtained from the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (telephone 1-800-332-4010). At this number recorded information is available on many subjects including seafood consumption and handling. A public affairs specialist is available 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Seafood safety information is also available on the world wide web at http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov and http://seafood.ucdavis.edu. There is more information about other Vibrio infections, such as Vibrio vulnificus.
Back to Top
* Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found
Back to Top
What type of illness is caused by V. parahaemolyticus?
When ingested, V. parahaemolyticus causes watery diarrhea often with abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. Usually these symptoms occur within 24 hours of ingestion. Illness is usually self-limited and lasts 3 days. Severe disease is rare and occurs more commonly in persons with weakened immune systems. V. parahaemolyticus can also cause an infection of the skin when an open wound is exposed to warm seawater.
Back to Top
How does infection with V. parahaemolyticus occur?
Most people become infected by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. Less commonly, this organism can cause an infection in the skin when an open wound is exposed to warm seawater.
Back to Top
How common is infection with V. parahaemolyticus?
An estimated 4500 cases of V. parahaemolyticus infection occur each year in the United States. However, the number of cases reported to CDC is much lower because surveillance is complicated by underreporting. Laboratories rarely use the selective medium that is necessary to identify this organism, and it is likely that many cases are undetected. To improve our ability to monitor trends, infections caused by V. parahaemolyticus and other Vibrio species became nationally notifiable in 2007. State health departments report cases to CDC, and these reports are summarized annually.
Back to Top
How is V. parahaemolyticus infection diagnosed?
Vibrio organisms can be isolated from cultures of stool, wound, or blood. For isolation from stool, use of a selective medium that has thiosulfate, citrate, bile salts, and sucrose (TCBS agar) is recommended. If there is clinical suspicion for infection with this organism, the microbiology laboratory should be notified so that they will perform cultures using this medium. A physician should suspect V. parahaemolyticus infection if a patient has watery diarrhea and has eaten raw or undercooked seafood, especially oysters, or when a wound infection occurs after exposure to seawater.
Back to Top
How is V. parahaemolyticus treated?
Treatment is not necessary in most cases of V. parahaemolyticus infection. There is no evidence that antibiotic treatment decreases the severity or the length of the illness. Patients should drink plenty of liquids to replace fluids lost through diarrhea. In severe or prolonged illnesses, antibiotics such as tetracycline or ciprofloxicin can be used. The choice of antibiotics should be based on antimicrobial susceptibilities of the organism.
Back to Top
How do oysters get contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus?
Vibrio is a naturally occurring organism commonly found in waters where oysters are cultivated. When the appropriate conditions occur with regard to salt content and temperature, V. parahaemolyticus thrives.
Back to Top
How is V. parahaemolyticus infection prevented?
Most infections caused by V. parahaemolyticus in the United States can be prevented by thoroughly cooking seafood, especially oysters. Wound infections can be prevented by avoiding exposure of open wounds to warm seawater. When an outbreak is traced to an oyster bed, health officials recommend closing the oyster bed until conditions are less favorable for V. parahaemolyticus.
Timely, voluntary reporting of V. parahaemolyticus infections to state health departments and to regional offices of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will help collaborative efforts to improve investigation of these infections. Regional FDA specialists with expert knowledge about shellfish assist state officials with tracebacks of shellfish. When notified rapidly about cases, officials can sample harvest waters to discover possible sources of infection and may close oyster beds. Ongoing research may help us to predict environmental or other factors that increase the chance that oysters carry Vibrios.
Back to Top
How can I learn more about Vibrio parahaemolyticus?
You can discuss medical concerns with your doctor or other health care provider. Your local health department can provide information about this and other public health problems. Information about problems associated with raw seafood consumption can be obtained from the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (telephone 1-800-332-4010). At this number recorded information is available on many subjects including seafood consumption and handling. A public affairs specialist is available 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Seafood safety information is also available on the world wide web at http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov and http://seafood.ucdavis.edu. There is more information about other Vibrio infections, such as Vibrio vulnificus.
Back to Top
* Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found
What Is Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacteria that lives in soil, water, and even in environments like hot tubs. For most healthy people, this bacteria seldom poses a problem. Occasionally people will develop conditions like hot tub rash, and swimmer’s ear, which may be due to contact with these germs. These conditions can sometimes resolve without treatment, or with minimal treatment, like antibiotic drops for swimmer’s ear.
Unfortunately, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is much more dangerous to certain populations, including those who have weak immune systems, the elderly, and those who have been hospitalized for long periods of time. People with cystic fibrosis and with full-blown AIDs frequently die from infections created by the bacteria. Those who have undergone chemotherapy, have had transplants, or have any of a variety of immunosuppressed conditions are far more at risk for developing bacterial infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and because this bacteria is relatively resistant to most antibacterial medications, infection can be deadly, particularly when it becomes infection of the lungs or bloodstream.
Doctors and medical researchers often refer to Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a blue-green pus bacteria, and/or a gram-negative bacteria. The first reference is to the pus, which can show blue to green colors, and the second refers to the Gram method for staining bacteria to determine what type it is. When samples of gram-negative bacteria, particularly those that are considered aerobic, are stained, they resist color and typically show up in slides under the microscope as a pink color. Aerobic bacteria refers to bacteria that needs oxygen to survive, which Pseudomonas aeruginosa has in ample amounts, particularly in hospital settings.
As mentioned, though Pseudomonas aeruginosa tends to live all around us, it is most dangerous to those who are in weakened physical states or have immunodeficiencies. Despite hospital cleaning and safety the bacteria may aggressively survive in basic hospital equipment, like masks used to give oxygen, breathing apparatus, or catheters for urine. Typically most common infections induced by the bacteria are of the bladder, lungs or bloodstream. Inability to produce normal immune reactions to the presence of the bacteria can mean this germ can easily result in extremely grave health conditions.
Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is usually through intravenous multiple antibiotic combinations, and it unfortunately does not always work. However, there is hope in this field, which may ultimately put an end to the suffering this bacteria may cause. Preliminary studies on a Pseudomonas aeruginosa vaccine are underway, and although these studies have not yet concluded that a currently developed vaccine is completely effective, early results do show that the vaccine can potentially reduce number of infections, as of mid-2007. These early results do not show complete protection from infection, but they are promising as to a reduction, when compared with a placebo group. Such a vaccine could indeed be a boon to the medical community and all those who are at particular risk for life-threatening infections from this bacteria
Unfortunately, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is much more dangerous to certain populations, including those who have weak immune systems, the elderly, and those who have been hospitalized for long periods of time. People with cystic fibrosis and with full-blown AIDs frequently die from infections created by the bacteria. Those who have undergone chemotherapy, have had transplants, or have any of a variety of immunosuppressed conditions are far more at risk for developing bacterial infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and because this bacteria is relatively resistant to most antibacterial medications, infection can be deadly, particularly when it becomes infection of the lungs or bloodstream.
Doctors and medical researchers often refer to Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a blue-green pus bacteria, and/or a gram-negative bacteria. The first reference is to the pus, which can show blue to green colors, and the second refers to the Gram method for staining bacteria to determine what type it is. When samples of gram-negative bacteria, particularly those that are considered aerobic, are stained, they resist color and typically show up in slides under the microscope as a pink color. Aerobic bacteria refers to bacteria that needs oxygen to survive, which Pseudomonas aeruginosa has in ample amounts, particularly in hospital settings.
As mentioned, though Pseudomonas aeruginosa tends to live all around us, it is most dangerous to those who are in weakened physical states or have immunodeficiencies. Despite hospital cleaning and safety the bacteria may aggressively survive in basic hospital equipment, like masks used to give oxygen, breathing apparatus, or catheters for urine. Typically most common infections induced by the bacteria are of the bladder, lungs or bloodstream. Inability to produce normal immune reactions to the presence of the bacteria can mean this germ can easily result in extremely grave health conditions.
Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is usually through intravenous multiple antibiotic combinations, and it unfortunately does not always work. However, there is hope in this field, which may ultimately put an end to the suffering this bacteria may cause. Preliminary studies on a Pseudomonas aeruginosa vaccine are underway, and although these studies have not yet concluded that a currently developed vaccine is completely effective, early results do show that the vaccine can potentially reduce number of infections, as of mid-2007. These early results do not show complete protection from infection, but they are promising as to a reduction, when compared with a placebo group. Such a vaccine could indeed be a boon to the medical community and all those who are at particular risk for life-threatening infections from this bacteria
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