News coverage of ‘flesh-eating bacteria’ (necrotizing fasciitis) dominates airwaves, websites and the print media this month. First, there was the detailed coverage of the courageous fight of Aimee Copeland, from the state of Georgia, against this aggressive foe. Now, we have learned there are two additional cases – both with Georgia connections.
You are left with the impression that some really evil bugs are breeding in the warm waters and rich soil of ‘The Peach State.’
While our thoughts and prayers go out to Aimee Copeland, Lana Kuykendall and Bobby Vaughn, it is important for us to to realize that, according to medical experts, this is an extremely rare occurrence. Media saturation aside, this only happens in 250 or so documented cases in the U.S. each year.
That doesn’t provide much solace to those affected as they fight for survival, for mobility and for a return to normalcy. And I don’t know of anyone who isn’t rooting for all that.
Still, when our modern news media finds a story like this, they stay with it. Remember the summer with all the stories of shark attacks? There was a fear of beaches that year.
And as if that wasn’t enough, after the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf, folks were afraid of going back because the ‘coastline was coated’ from South Padre to Pensacola (not really). Today I saw some reference to tapeworms in the brain! Stop! I don’t want to know any more!
Sometimes, this hyper-news coverage is good. The rash of deaths of young baseball players caused by commotio cordis (usually caused when a young player is struck in the chest by a baseball) provided the momentum that caused Farragut Baseball, Inc. to get an AED unit (defibrillator) when I was President.
Again, this isn’t something that happens A LOT. But, hearing stories of it happening a few times each summer struck a nerve in our circle. We never had a tragedy like that occur on our fields but our reasoning was if something like that DID happen, we wanted to have the right equipment on-site to be able to save a life.
So, you might say, the news stories were the catalyst.
In the case of necrotizing fasciitis, maybe the ‘take away’ message from all this coverage is a reminder that if we DO receive a cut to the skin for any reason, we should all remember to wash and rinse each wound, treat it with antibiotic crème or ointment and bandage it immediately. And if the wound worsens, you should seek medical attention.
This isn’t to say that those in the news didn’t do things the right way. It just gives us an opportunity to remind ourselves that WE need to do so.
Maybe a little wider consciousness about safe sanitary practices for all of us would be a beneficial outcome of all the coverage.
JG
(Source: ajc.com)
Originally posted 5/22/2012
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