Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/81459
4A Daily News – Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Vitalityfitness health CHICAGO (MCT) — It's hard to overstate the fear that arrived with reports of people mysteri- ously falling ill and even dying after attending an American Legion conven- tion in Philadelphia dur- ing the summer of 1976. "We don't know what we're dealing with," Pennsylvania's secretary of health was quoted as saying at the time. out, was a bacterium. The microscopic organism was christened Legionel- la; the serious infection it causes, Legionnaires' dis- ease. Discovered in 1977, Legionella has sickened hotel guests, hospital patients, hot-tubbers, cruise ship passengers, elderly nursing home res- idents and office workers. This week, Chicago public health officials announced that two peo- ple had died of Legion- naires' disease, and six others are reported to have been sickened. The connection appears to be their presence at down- town's JW Marriott Hotel between mid-July and mid-August. The Tribune contacted The culprit, it turned experts on Legionnaires' disease to talk about this infamous illness. Q: How much time should I spend worrying about Legionnaires' dis- ease? A: For most people, not much. "I don't think people should be super worried about it," said Dr. Emily Landon, hospital epidemi- ologist at University of Chicago Medicine. "We don't see a huge number & What is Legionnaires? disease, said Landon. "Legionnaires' pneu- monia can be nasty," she said. "It can really take you down." Q: Is Legionnaires' dis- ease treatable? A: "Legionella is a pretty easy bug to kill," Landon said. Antibiotics — specif ically quinolones and macrolides — are effec- tive. That said, deaths are associated with out- breaks, particularly because people who tend to come down with Legionnaires' disease often are medically frag- ile. of cases in this hospital and at hospitals in Chica- go. I think this is a very unfortunate event, but it does not happen a lot." Legionella causes an estimated 20 to 80 cases of Legionnaires' disease in every 1 million people each year, said Dr. Paul Edelstein, director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania. That adds up to just 200 to 800 cases a year in the Chica- go metropolitan area. And the cases don't occur randomly, Edelstein said. The elderly, smokers and people with compro- mised immune systems are most susceptible to developing Legionnaires' disease. All of the known victims of the Chicago outbreak were older than 49, according to public health officials. Q: I would still like to 1010 Jefferson St., Red Bluff 527-7800 Complete Dental Care • Cosmetic Dentistry • Adults And Children • New Patients Warmly Welcomed! www.MooreandPascarella.com avoid it if I can. Is that possible? A: The good news is that the infection is not spread from person to per- son, so coming into con- tact with people with Legionnaires' disease is not risky, said Edelstein. The bad news is that it is hard to avoid all possi- ble sources of the bacte- ria, which grow well in warm water found in places like the tanks and pipes of industrial cooling systems of large buildings as well as in hot tubs and in fountains. It is easier to stay out of hot tubs than to avoid circulating water vapor. Edelstein said some of the most spectac- ular outbreaks have been linked to large buildings. In 2001, 449 cases of confirmed Legionnaires' disease were reported in and around Murcia, Spain, according to a sci- entific paper published about the outbreak. The most likely source was hospital cooling towers spewing contaminated vapor into the summer air. Q. What happens if I am infected? vent the bacteria from becoming a public health problem? A: Yes. Even though hospitals are known as a source of Legionnaires' disease, University of Chicago Medicine has not had a case in more than 14 years, said Lan- don. That's because offi- cials are hyper-vigilant about testing and treating potential sources of Legionella transmission, she said. Q: Is it possible to pre- A fountain in one of the hospital lobbies does- n't run, she said, because the amount of chlorine needed to use it safely would make people standing nearby cough. People who maintain Mixing meds could make you sicker — or worse proved to be life-threatening for Bengt Bostrom. Bostrom, 71, of Coppell, Texas, went to his internist, DALLAS (MCT) — A failure of communication Dr. Bradley Jones, to figure out why he was so exhausted. Bostrom was already being treated for prostate cancer, and a specialist had prescribed naproxen to help reduce swelling. If Jones had known that, he'd have added a medicine to protect Bostrom's stomach. Instead, Jones didn't find out until he noted how unnaturally pale Bostrom was, ran tests and sent him to the hospital, where he required four units of blood to stabilize a bleeding ulcer. "I didn't suspect the medication," Bostrom says, noting that the naproxen, which Jones identified as the culprit, was an over-the-counter pill he'd only taken four or five days. buildings with large cool- ing systems need to be similarly vigilant, testing the water regularly as well as disinfecting and cleaning the systems, Landon said. Breathed in, the bacte- ria may multiply in the lungs, causing a serious and sometimes deadly pneumonia. High fever, chills, body aches, cough, difficulty breathing and pain in the chest are asso- ciated with Legionnaires' Hot tubs also should be checked and cleaned regularly, Edelstein said, and maximum guest lim- its observed. If there are too many people in a hot tub, their dead skin cells and other organic matter can overwhem the disin- fectant added to water, allowing Legionella to grow. "It is a real art to main- tain swimming pools and recreational spas correct- ly," he said, adding, "which is why I avoid rooms with spas in them as much as I can." redbluff.mercy.org www.redbluff.mercy.org Childbirth Class Community Basic Life Support 6:00pm-10:00pm 9/11 Columba 529-8026 Waterbirth Class Diabetic Education Grief Support Group Books Are Fun Cardiac Support Group 6:30pm-8:30pm 9/6 Columba 529-8026 6:00pm-8:30pm 9/10 Columba 527-5077 6:30pm-8:30pm 9/12 Columba 529-8026 5:30pm-9:30pm 9/19 Columba 529-8026 3:00pm-5:00pm Thursdays Coyne Center 528-4207 10:00am-5:00pm 9/20 7:00am-2:00pm 9/21 Main hallway of the hospital www.redbluff.mercy.org JOIN THE NEW GENERATION OF GOOD LISTENERS Wednesday Every September 5, 12, 19 & 26 736-1326 Irving, Texas, says the incident points out the importance of having one doctor monitor all of a patient's medications — prescription, over-the-counter and herbal. "The internist is the quarterback of a patient's care," Jones says. "The internist needs to make the referrals, and if you self-refer, the specialist should send a report back so the internist can say this medicine is fine or there's a rea- son why we can't do this medicine." Armon Neel Jr., a fifth-generation pharmacist and author of "Are Your Prescriptions Killing You?" (Atria Books, $25), might add that a board-certified pharmacist, working with that doctor, can play a key role as well. About 46 million people in the United States have mul- tiple chronic health conditions that require multiple med- ications and rely on multiple health care providers for their care, according to the Alliance for Integrated Medication Management, an organization created in June with the goal of integrating pharmacists into primary care services with the help of the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medic- aid Services. Jones, an internist on staff at Baylor Medical Center at Medication-related problems are common, costly and hurt people, according to a 2012 report from the American Geriatrics Society. Problems can occur when medications are taken incorrectly or conflict with one another or with certain foods and alcohol. Fatal prescription interactions can occur at any age, as witnessed by the case of actor Heath Ledger, who died in 2008 from an accidental overdose of six prescription drugs, including painkillers, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication. However, Dr. Paul E. Carns, an anesthesiologist and assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., says that the most vulnerable are the elderly, who use an average of 16 medications apiece, often prescribed by different specialists and acquired at different pharmacies as patients shop for the best prices. "As we get older, we have more chronic conditions that require multiple medications that are more powerful than ever before," he says. "Many work specifically on certain places in our body, and many times there's an interaction." The problem extends to over-the-counter medications taken in excess, from fever reducers such as Tylenol, which can damage the liver, and anti-inflammatory med- ications such as Advil, which can affect the kidneys, he says. RANDAL S. ELLOWAY DDS IMPLANT DENTISTRY 2426 SO. MAIN ST., RED BLUFF 530-527-6777 FACT SHEET ON DENTAL IMPLANTS DENTAL IMPLANTS: * are the most advanced tooth replacement system ever devised *help preserve jawbone to prevent the appearance of premature aging *look and function like natural teeth *are placed/restored in the doctor's office with minimal discomfort *improves comfort, appearance, speech * have a 95% success rate * allow you to eat the foods you love and talk, laugh and smile with confidence * represent a conservative treatment option-- adjacent teeth are left untouched * never develop decay * can provide great stability for lower denture * can completely eliminate the need for a denture * can help people of any age * give patients a third set of teeth that are natural looking and very long-lasting Pine Street Plaza 332 Pine Street, Suite G Red Bluff, CA Stacy L. Garcia Hearing Aid Dispenser Lic. #7440 (800) 843-4271 Ask yourself the following questions: Are you missing one or more of your natural teeth? Do you have a complete or partial denture that is no longer completely comfortable? Have you ever been embarrassed by a denture or a bridge? If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, call us today at (530) 527-6777 to schedule an evaluation appointment. We would be pleased to evaluate your oral health and discuss treatment options with you.