February 22, 2023, 18:37 – BLiTZ – News
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an infectious disease caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It often flares up in hospitals. Particularly easy to affect people with weakened immune systems. Its acute course, which Kostomarov encountered, is characterized by damage to internal organs. Treatment includes antibiotic therapy, detoxification, and symptomatic medications. Sometimes you have to resort to surgery. The prognosis of this pathology is unfavorable due to high resistance to antibiotics.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa lives in water, soil and air. The bacterium spreads especially well in rooms with high humidity – these are swimming pools, baths and saunas. The infection is transmitted by airborne droplets and food. Poorly processed hairdressing and manicure tools can also serve as a source of infection. Also, the bacillus can be transmitted through insufficiently processed medical items, which causes its wide distribution as a nosocomial infection.
Speaking more specifically about hospitals, the “favorite” hospital places of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are intensive care units and physiotherapy rooms. At risk are premature infants, children under 3 months old, the elderly, patients in hemodialysis, chemotherapy, neurosurgery and resuscitation departments, patients with cystic fibrosis and immunosuppression.
The incubation period can range from several days to decades, since Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the conditionally pathogenic components of the human microflora. Clinical manifestations depend on the affected organ. When the gastrointestinal tract is affected, the first symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, chills, weakness, nausea, vomiting, bloating and soreness of the abdomen, frequent mushy stools with blood and mucus.
The most common complications of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection include generalization of the infectious process and infectious-toxic shock. High probability of abscess and gangrene. The sluggish course of infection on the mucous membranes of the ear, oropharynx, nose, conjunctiva and lungs leads to the formation of mesotympanitis, bronchiectasis, creeping corneal ulcer, partial or complete deafness, one-sided blindness.
The bacterium dies when boiled, during autoclaving (sterilization with hot steam under high pressure), as well as when exposed to 3% hydrogen peroxide and chlorine-containing antiseptics.
Earlier, in an interview with the BLiTZ, the president of the League, Alexander Saversky, spoke about the deplorable situation with nosocomial infections in Kommunarka, from which Kostomarov suffered.