Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68165
ABMP MEMBERS CAN DOWNLOAD THE ABMP BIZFIT TOOLKIT, "YOUR HEALTHY PRACTICE," AT ABMP.COM. Selected Sources Aberra, F. and C. Gronczewski. Clostridium diffi cile colitis. Medscape. Available at http://emedicine. medscape.com/article/186458-overview (accessed November 2009). Antiviral use and the risk of drug resistance. WHO 2009. Available at www.who.int/csr/disease/swinefl u/notes/ h1n1_antiviral_use_20090925/en/index. html (accessed November 2009). Cryptosporidium infection—general public. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at www. cdc.gov/crypto/factsheets/prevent. html (accessed November 2009). DeNoon, D. Blue light kills MRSA. WebMD, LLC. Available at www. webmd.com/news/20090204/blue- light-kills-mrsa?src=RSS_PUBLIC (accessed November 2009). Fraser, S. Enterococcal infections. Medscape. Available at http://emedicine. medscape.com/article/216993-overview (accessed November 2009). Frequently asked questions. XDR- TB. WHO. Available at www.who. int/tb/challenges/xdr/faqs/en/index. html (accessed November 2009). H1N1 fl u. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at www.cdc.gov/ h1n1fl u/qa.htm (accessed November 2009). Martinez, J. MRSA skin infection in athletes. Medscape. Available at http:// emedicine.medscape.com/article/108972- overview (accessed November 2009). Necrotizing fasciitis fact sheet. National Necrotizing Fasciitis Foundation. Available at www.nnff .org/nnff _factsheet. htm (accessed November 2009). For a complete list of sources used, visit Massageandbodywork.com. NECROTIZING FASCIITIS This infection (usually with group A hemolytic Streptococcus aureus, but occasionally with other bacteria) causes the death of subcutaneous soft tissue. Also called "fl esh-eating bacteria," it is an aggressive, rapidly spreading pathogen that moves along deep fascial planes, destroying soft tissue as it goes. These infections can start with tiny nicks or cuts to the skin: needle pricks, paper cuts, and torn hangnails are all possible portals of entry. The best outcome for necrotizing fasciitis is early diagnosis, intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics, and aggressive removal of damaged tissue (which can mean amputation). STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE As we scan our environment for new and old pathogenic threats, we are having to reevaluate our arsenal a bit. Many of our old standbys, especially in the realm of antibiotics, have lost their potency. Even some of the brand-new antiviral medications aren't standing up to the newer varieties of fl u. The future of infection control may look signifi cantly different from the past. Some of the innovations we are considering include the production of synthetic bacteria-killing viruses (bacteriophages) that target specifi c infections. If phage therapy fulfi lls its promise, viruses will be adapted and manufactured to keep up with bacterial resistance. Phages are already in use for humans in other countries, and applications for infection control in farm animals are under investigation here. Because phages are different from standard drug therapies, however, it will be a long road to fi gure out a way to get FDA approval for use in the United States. Other out-of-the-box thinking for tough bacteria includes the use of "blue lights" to kill MRSA bacteria. Several minutes of exposure to non- dangerous levels of targeted blue light (without ultraviolet radiation) connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 99 appears to kill up to 80 percent of these extremely tough pathogens. The exact mechanism isn't yet understood, so whether MRSA can develop blue light resistance is still an open question. Ultimately, for massage therapists and everyone else, infection control comes down to the most basic common sense applications. Washing hands frequently, covering any possible portals of entry for infection, turning our heads away to cough or sneeze, using disposable tissues, practicing good hygiene at home and in the offi ce, and— perhaps above all—staying away from others when we're sick, will provide the best possible protection for ourselves and our clients that we can offer. A legitimate argument could be made that the constant, unceasing, sleep-ruining stress of worrying about a potential infectious threat may be more dangerous than the infection itself. Because the best defense in this situation is information, I urge all massage therapists to gather the clearest, most accurate information they can fi nd on the pathogens that they encounter the most. Then, use it to stay healthy, make careful choices, and move joyfully forward with the knowledge that you have controlled the things you can control, and you can let go of the rest. approved provider of continuing education. She wrote A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009), now in its fourth edition, which is used in massage schools worldwide. Her new book, Disease Handbook for Massage Therapists, is now available from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Werner can be reached at www.ruthwerner.com or wernerworkshops @ruthwerner.com. Ruth Werner is a writer and NCBTMB-