Bathroom surgery can cause infections
I recently had an encounter with a patient that was a little intense. This patient had MRSA! Some readers might know what this is, and some may not.
MRSA is the acronym for Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus. It gets into the headlines from time to time when bad outcomes result from this “aggressive” infection. Bad outcomes from serious MRSA infections can result in amputations and even death.
Some things to know about MRSA: you cannot catch it like Covid; it lives on some of our bodies in places like the nostrils, armpits, and navel; special antibiotics are needed to treat it. So my most recent MRSA encounter occurred after a new patient attempted to clip out their own ingrown nail. It is no crime to try, but unfortunately this kind of “bathroom surgery” can have consequences.
Within two days of this person’s bathroom surgery attempt, they knew there was an infection problem… that’s how fast it happened. The signs were redness, swelling, puss and pain.
Thanks to my training and practice experience, MRSA was my diagnosis immediately. I took care of the ingrown nail and prescribed one of the special antibiotics immediately. It’s been seven days since that visit and the patient says they are recovering and healing well.
So the few take home messages are simple. If you feel like you need to dig at your own ingrown nail, think about calling Sohl Foot & Ankle instead. If you think you have an infection…don’t wait, call Sohl Foot & Ankle. If you have any other foot or ankle problems, just call Sohl Foot & Ankle at 267-699-3839.
PHOTO Cap: If you have to dig, then you need help. Call 267-699-3839