Superbugs... coming to a hospital near you
Deaths from antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” are expected to reach cancer death levels in the future. There are some things you should know that could save your life, or the life of a loved one.
The sound of footsteps echoed down the hospital hallway as nurses moved swiftly from room to room, their faces hidden behind masks, their eyes tired but focused. In Room 314, John Miller lay in a bed, staring up at the ceiling. The 58-year-old truck driver had been admitted a week ago for what seemed like a routine surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. He had expected to be home by now, recovering with his wife and watching his favorite football team on TV.
But things had taken a turn for the worse. Shortly after the surgery, John developed a fever and noticed that his surgical wound was red, swollen, and increasingly painful. The doctors initially dismissed it as a normal post-operative reaction, but when the fever spiked and the pain became unbearable, they ran tests and delivered the news that John was now fighting an infection.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, they called it—an infection that had infiltrated his body during his stay at the hospital, the place where he had come seeking care. John didn’t understand all the medical jargon the doctors used, but he knew one thing: this wasn’t supposed to happen.
"How could this be?" he asked, his voice trembling with frustration and fear. "I came here to get better, not worse."
His wife, Karen, sat beside him, her hands clasped tightly around his. She tried to stay strong for him, but the worry was etched deeply into her face. "We’re going to get through this, John. They’re going to fix it."
The doctors had immediately started him on the strongest antibiotics available, but MRSA was notoriously stubborn. The infection had taken hold in the surgical site and was rapidly spreading into his bloodstream. Each day, the fever raged on, and John grew weaker. The man who had once been a pillar of strength, who had spent his life hauling heavy loads across the country, now lay helpless, his body betraying him.
As the days passed, the infection continued to spread despite the doctors’ best efforts. The antibiotics weren’t working as they should have been. John’s condition worsened; the infection was causing sepsis, and his organs began to shut down. The medical team worked tirelessly, adjusting medications, running tests, consulting specialists, but the infection was relentless.
Karen never left his side, holding his hand, talking to him, trying to keep his spirits up even as hers crumbled. "You’re going to pull through this, John. You’re the strongest man I know."
But John could feel his strength slipping away. He was tired—tired of the pain, tired of the fever, tired of the endless poking and prodding. One night, as the machines around him beeped and the fluorescent lights cast a pale glow over the room, he looked at Karen, his eyes filled with a sadness she had never seen before.
The hospital room was quiet, save for the steady beep of the heart monitor and the soft hum of the fluorescent lights overhead. Joan Patterson, a 68-year-old retired schoolteacher, lay motionless on the bed, her frail body dwarfed by the sterile sheets tucked around her. Her breath came in shallow, labored gasps, and her once vibrant blue eyes were now dull, clouded with pain and fatigue.
It wasn’t just in his body—it was in the very place where he was supposed to be safe. The hospital, with all its sterilized surfaces and vigilant staff, had inadvertently become the battleground for a war they were struggling to win.
By the end of the second week, the doctors delivered the news Karen had been dreading. John’s condition was critical. The MRSA had overwhelmed his system, and there was little more they could do. They offered comfort care, something to ease his pain in his final hours.
Karen held John’s hand as he drifted in and out of consciousness, her voice a steady presence in his ear. She talked about their life together, the trips they had taken, the grandchildren they had watched grow. She reminded him of the little things—how he loved the smell of fresh-cut grass, the taste of a cold beer on a summer evening, the sound of rain on the roof.
"I love you, John," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I’ll love you forever."
John managed a weak smile, squeezing her hand one last time before his eyes closed for the final time. The machines around him fell silent as the flat line on the monitor signaled that the battle was over.
This fictitious story is actually happening. Repeatedly. In every hospital in America.
MRSA
Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. It kills over 100,000 people worldwide each year. (Somewhere around 20,000 in the US alone.)
So-called ‘superbugs’ are bacteria that have been treated with antibiotics and, over the years, have have become resistant to them by morphing. Imagine that you kill off 98% of the bacteria with an expensive antibiotic. What happens to the 2% of the bacteria that remain? They become resistant. Go through another round of antibiotics, and again most die. But the 2% get even more resilient.
There is a whole list of super bugs that have a catchy acronym... ESKAPE. Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp.
ESKAPE superbugs escape the effects of antibiotics. They are known to survive in the modern health care setting. Their adaptations make them a real problem in hospitals.
What if there was something that took care of superbugs and virus infections without antibiotics. Wouldn’t the medical world jump up and down with excitement? The answer is NO… because that cure already exists.
Is it a drug? No.
Does it have a repeat value by curing some of the disease but allowing for repeat applications and increased profits? No.
Is it expensive so that it will bring in millions into Pharma or hospital coffers? NO
What is this cure? UBI – Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation (known to some as UVBI.) If you are familiar with alternative medical physicians, then you are in luck. These are the brave men and women who are willing to get off the hamster wheel of modern medicine and find root causes of what ails us.
The procedure is simple and only uses about 60cc of blood. It causes the body’s immune system to be supercharged and take on those “bugs” that antibiotics left. (It has the added benefits of almost no side-effects.)
In the US there are about 1,000 physicians who use this therapy. If you want to find one, you can click here.
There is one catch to taking care of superbugs. You should act BEFORE you are hospitalized for a serious infection.
If you are in the hospital, they will not allow this therapy to occur, as it is not FDA approved at this time. If you have an infection, it is recommended to get a UBI treatment before going to a hospital. The other unfortunate thing to consider is that the ESKAPE super bacteria are often hospital-acquired. If we can trust the reporting system of the CDC, there are about 3% - 7% of all hospital patients that acquire this type of infection.
So what is an answer?
While you’re healthy and not suffering from an active infection (or any number of issues that require a physician) find a practitioner who performs UBI.
Set up an appointment and get registered with their office.
Be ready to pay for an initial consultation as out-of-pocket pay. Most of these physicians do not take insurance and are not on the system that often perpetuates the problem.
Consult your physician for their protocol should an infection occur.
Knowing that there is an answer to bad infections can be a life saver. Consider sharing this information with your loved ones so that you can protect yourselves and help put a stop to the development of more ‘superbugs.’
Blessings,
The Medical Maverick