This post has links to some very disgusting YouTube videos depicting procedures wherein Costco-sized amounts of pus are drained. It seems that these infections are largely represented by people living in Third World countries. Obviously thing can get out of hand (or leg, or back) when medical facilities are not readily available and living conditions are harsher than in developed areas.
But what causes these infections in the first place?
Wow… Prolly the first time ever one of my posts has been singled out on the board…
I remember the doctor who originally posted these videos didn’t have a clear diagnosis on the cause but stated that many of the patients had compromised immune systems due to HIV and profound famine, as well as a general lack of available healthcare/treatment.
Obligatory TMI WARNING if you click the links.
Heh. That’s a given in the context of the thread, but I should have mentioned it when taking the post out of context. By bad.
Any idea what caused the infections? I mean, the immune system is apparently compromised (due to HIV/famine/whatever), but what triggers the infection? I once had ‘cat scratch disease’ and had to have a lymph node removed. I suppose an animal scratch or an insect bite may become infected? Or something as simple as a skinned knee?
I Am Not A Doctor but I would assume that a fairly hideous infection could be triggered by anything allowing a microrganism to get inside tissue. A bite/scratch/scrape/torn fingernail/sweat gland/hair follicle or anything representing a full or partial breach of the skin can let a staphylococcus or similar set up a little pus factory. You don’t even need any injury. Things like zits or styes are basically small-scale infections which have the (rarely realised, thank FSM) potential to turn into full-on cellulitis, septecemia and so on. They turn up on perfectly healthy uninjured people.