How to Eliminate Cures that can Kill
by www.SixWise.com

You’re checked into the hospital for a routine surgery or medical procedure, only to acquire a serious infection while you’re there. If you’re lucky, the infection will clear up and you will recover, but for 48,000 Americans every year, hospital-acquired infections are deadly.

While analyzing the discharge records of 69 million U.S. patients, researchers determined that both sepsis and pneumonia are often acquired after a person checks in to the hospital. They specifically identified infections that should have been preventable, such as a bloodstream infection that occurs because medical equipment is not properly sterilized during surgery.

In the case of sepsis that developed after surgery, 20 percent of those affected died. For pneumonia, which sometimes occurs due to dirty ventilator tubes, 11 percent died.

"That's the tragedy of such cases," Anup Malani, study co-author, investigator at Extending the Cure, and professor at the University of Chicago, said on EurekAlert.org. "In some cases, relatively healthy people check into the hospital for routine surgery. They develop sepsis because of a lapse in infection control -- and they can die."

Unfortunately, this is far from the only study to show that oftentimes the “cure” is worth than the diseases.

Sick Care “Patient Safety (Error) Incidents” that are Very Common

The seventh annual HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals study, released in March 2010, painted a dire picture of patient safety in U.S. hospitals, especially those that ranked outside of the top 5 percent. 

The study, which analyzed nearly 40 million hospitalization records found that nearly 1 million patient-safety incidents occurred among Medicare patients from 2006-2008. Sick Care “Patient-Safety (error) incidents” are, in essence, medical mistakes that cause patients harm or, for one in 10, costs them their life.

The researchers noted major discrepancies between the top ranking hospitals and poorly performing ones, with those visiting the top 5 percent experiencing 43 percent fewer patient-safety incidents. If the lower ranking hospitals were brought up to this level, it’s estimated that over 218,500 patient-safety incidents and 22,500 deaths could have been avoided, along with $2 billion saved.

What this means is that anytime you visit a hospital, you’re at risk of a medical mishap. But if you visit one of the lower ranked hospitals, your risk rises significantly higher. Among the medical mishaps measured in the study were:

• Complications of anesthesia

• Bed sores

• Death among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complications

• Selected infections due to medical care

• Post-operative hip fracture

• Post-operative hemorrhage or hematoma

• Post-operative physiologic and metabolic derangements

• Post-operative respiratory failure

• Post-operative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis

• Post-operative sepsis

• Accidental puncture or laceration

• Transfusion reaction

Hospitals are Crawling With MRSA, C. Diff and Other Drug-Resistant Superbugs

MRSA and C. diff infections have been spreading across the United States like wildfire. More people died from each of these superbugs than the number of people who died from the Swine Flu (H1N1) last year, but you don’t see government-paid TV commercials about how to avoid deadly “MRSA” or “C. diff.”

That’s likely because there are no highly profitable drugs that stop either, and, in fact, even the drugs that were once used to treat them are becoming rapidly ineffective.

As written by Extending the Cure, a research and consultative effort that is working to solve the growing problem of antibiotic resistance:

“From 1974 to 2004, the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has climbed from roughly 2 percent to more than 50 percent in many U.S. hospitals.

Drug-resistant infections affect patients, health care systems, and society by increasing the cost of treating infections and causing greater disability and death. Billions of dollars' worth of avoidable costs accrue to our health care system because resistant infections require longer hospital stays and more expensive drugs.

Infections from just six common resistant bacteria cost our health system nearly $2 billion a year – more than the total annual spending on influenza.”

The solution to preventing the spread of superbugs is complex, and involves using and prescribing antibiotics only when absolutely necessary, along with implementing better infection control in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care settings where these infections run rampant.

As Extending the Cure points out, the latter strategy will take time and, likely, changes in hospital policy to be effective:

“Infection control in hospital settings is difficult, time-intensive, expensive, and unglamorous work. And though many hospitals want to improve infection control, the incentives they are currently getting send exactly the opposite message.

Take staff hand-washing, for example. Installing additional hand-washing stations and strengthening hand-washing habits among doctors, nurses, and other hospital workers could be an attainable and effective strategy to reduce infection rates.

But while Medicare and private insurers will pay for neither installing washing stations nor training hospital staff, both Medicare and private insurers will pay for antibiotics required to treat infections as they spread throughout the hospital.

Thus hospitals have a financial incentive to allow the status quo to continue.

Medicare has begun to change those incentives, with restrictions on payments for infections the government considers avoidable. Still, it remains to be seen whether this change in policy will affect practice.”

In both cases (“MRSA” and “C. diff” superbugs), you are more likely to become infected if you’ve recently spent time in a hospital and/or if you’ve taken antibiotics.

Fortunately, the healthier you are, the less likely you are to contract MRSA or C. diff – AND the less likely you are to need to visit a hospital, doctor’s office or other health care setting. And this is really the key!

The less you have to depend on drugs, surgery, doctors and hospitals to keep you well, the lower your chances of succumbing to a hospital-inquired infection, medical mishap or antibiotic-resistant superbug becomes.

How to Avoid “Cures That Kill”

It’s true that sometimes the cure is worse than the disease, and when you eliminate the causes of many diseases, you can also eliminate the need for most said cures.  With that in mind, what can you do to stay healthy and well?

• Eat a healthy diet focused on fresh instead of processed foods, without a lot of simple sugars.

As you start adding more fruits and veggies to your diet, you can help maximize nutrient absorption from these nutrient-rich foods using the plant-based enzyme supplement, AbsorbAid Platinum from NutritionsFinest.com.

This vegetable-based digestive enzyme system combines its effective ratio of proteases, amylases, lipases and cellulases with two "acid-tolerant" bacteria or a probiotic combination, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, to help break down all food groups and maximize nutrient absorption from the food you eat.

• Relax and find ways to relieve stress.

• Eat healthy fats.

Fat is vital for your body to function properly (or at all). The important thing is to know which fats are healthy and which are not. Fats to definitely avoid include trans fats (found in commercial baked goods, margarine, doughnuts, French fries and other snack foods). The experts are split when it comes to saturated fats, with some saying they should be avoided and others believing they are actually quite healthy.

Most everyone agrees that monounsaturated fats, the kind found in avocados, olive oil, and nuts, and omega-3 fats, the kind found in fish and fish oils and flaxseeds, are exceptionally healthy and should definitely be included in your diet.

• Detox regularly.

Every day we’re exposed to chemicals in our food and water, pollution in our air, and emotional stress in our lives. Over time, these toxins accumulate in your body and can manifest as insomnia, fatigue, digestive problems, aches and pains or even chronic disease.

Detoxification gives your body a chance to rest, clear out toxins and become nourished. Generally this is done by first removing and eliminating toxins, then providing your body with healthy nutrients.

You can also support the removal of toxins from your body using HMD,™ the natural heavy metal chelator from DrHMD.com. Use it with all the family -- it is considered a gentle and natural chelator that can be used by all.

• Get plenty of high-quality sleep.

It’s during this time that your body is rebuilt and repaired.

• Exercise regularly.

According to the National Institute on Aging:

“Regular physical activity may be the most important thing an older person can do to stay healthy and self-reliant. In fact, the more exercise you can do in later life, the better off you’ll be.

Studies suggest regular, sustained exercise can help prevent or delay some diseases and disabilities as people grow older. And, in some cases, it can actually improve some of these conditions in older people who already have them.

In a study conducted at Tufts University in Boston, for instance, some people age 80 and older were able to progress from using walkers to using canes after doing simple muscle-building exercises for just 10 weeks.

In addition, physical activity can improve your mood, lessen your risk of developing adult-onset diabetes, slow bone loss, and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.”

If you’re looking for an exercise program you can do right from your own home, we highly recommend adding SheaNetics from MySheaNetics.com, a new East-meets-West exercise and lifestyle practice that helps you make positive and lasting mind-body changes.

SheaNetics® from MySheaNetics.com was founded by fitness expert Shea Vaughn and is an innovative blend of Yoga, Pilates, Martial Arts, Tai Chi, GYROKINESIS®, Dance and other great exercise techniques that give you fabulous workouts. The creative choreography is fresh, challenging and energizing and helps you to build strength and sculpt your body while increasing balance and flexibility. SheaNetics also introduces you to “Tri-Core-Power Training” – a highly effective technique for developing all three regions of the core, improving balance and boosting your physical performance.

As your workouts progress, positive and lasting physical changes quickly become possible.  You’ll also experience mental benefits as well by embracing the SheaNetics Five Living Principles - Commitment, Perseverance, Self-Control, Integrity and Love. They inspire and motivate your workouts while giving direction and purpose to the rest of your life. 

Shea spent years researching and teaching in the commercial fitness industry and has a first-hand understanding of the physical, mental and emotional benefits of living a life of exercise.

The range of SheaNetics students are impressively diverse from 25- to 75-year-olds, men and women, fitness buffs and athletes, people who want to get in shape, those who wish to maintain their present state of fitness and many who want to take it to a higher level. The quest for so many today is to discover a more effective way to prevent injury and disease while also improving the quality of our everyday lives.

SheaNetics is a unique fitness and self-help philosophy with broad appeal which is why we feel it is right at the leading edge of a new and more relevant trend in fitness, proactive wellness (reducing the need for medicines that have side effects) and better living. 

• Stay active, socially and mentally. By reading, doing crossword puzzles, learning new things, working part-time and socializing you can help keep your brain cells strong.

You’ve heard the phrase “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Taking the above steps will help you to prevent a host of chronic health complaints down the road, thereby drastically reducing your reliance on often-dangerous medical procedures and drugs. Instead you’ll stay in good health, naturally.

SixWise Says ...

Taking medications to resolve your symptoms is only a temporary fix – one that often leads to side effects and typically does nothing to treat the underlying cause of your health issues and symptoms. Not only are medications expensive, but they will be hard pressed to give you the vim and vigor plus quality of life with longevity you’re truly after.

Minimize and if possible avoid sick care by not getting sick through eating healthy, including primarily a diet of quick easy good tasting raw foods, and exercising to stay healthy.

Recommended Reading

7 Ways to Cut Your Medical Costs: Stop the CAUSE ... No Need for a Cure!

27 Never Events: They're Not Supposed to Happen, but They Often Do

Health Quiz: How High Do You Really Prioritize Your Health?

Sources

EurekAlert.org February 22, 2010

Archives of Internal Medicine February 22, 2010; 170(4):347-53

HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study March 2010

Newswise.com March 30, 2010

ExtendingTheCure.org