Rams O-lineman's infection not believed to be MRSA

[News Bot]

Tom Pelissero, USA TODAY Sports
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/08/23/st-louis-rams-joe-barksdale-infection-cut-mrsa/2694507/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nf ... a/2694507/</a>

Backup tackle Joe Barksdale didn't travel for the St. Louis Rams' preseason game on Saturday at Denver because of an infection in a cut on one of his hands.

However, Barksdale's agent, Isaac Conner, told USA TODAY Sports on Friday night the injury is not believed to be an MRSA infection like the ones that struck the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.

RELATED: Bucs battling MRSA outbreak

Barksdale, 25, suffered the cut in practice this past week, Conner said. He went to the doctor on Friday morning about a possible infection, received antibiotics and is expected back on the field soon.

The possibility was enough to raise concerns about some Rams players in light of widespread discussion about the situation with the Bucs, who confirmed Thursday that offensive lineman Carl Nicks and place-kicker Lawrence Tynes both are being treated for MRSA infections.

Nicks has an infected blister on the side of his left foot and Tynes an infected toe on his right foot, the team said. The entire roster was informed on Monday.

The Rams and Bucs have not played in the preseason or held any joint practices.

MRSA – short for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus – is an infection caused by a strain of staph bacteria that has become resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat ordinary staph infections.

In 2003, eight cases were diagnosed in five Rams players who combined to miss 17 practice days. In-game skin-to-skin transmission was suspected as opponents developed infections after playing the Rams.

The Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers have had documented MRSA infections in recent years, as well. An NFL physicians survey determined there were 33 MRSA staph infections league-wide from 2006 to '08 – 11 a season among the 32 teams.

According to the NFL's Fall 2012 Health & Safety Report, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, NFL Charities awarded a grant three years ago for a study on the prevalence, distribution and fate of MRSA infections on synthetic turf grass systems.

 

[rdlkgliders]

Lets hope it's not MRSA the last thing we need is an outbreak of the MRSA virus.

 

[max]

If it is MRSA then it's huge news and not the first time it's happened in STL. Jack Snow died from the last one there.

If it is MRSA, then ill personally drive the moving van to get my team out of there.

 

[A55VA6]

Damn, hope all is good with Joe.

 

[albefree69]

:good1: lus1:

 

[Username]

1. I hope Joe's ok, and yes MRSA sucks ass.
2. I wonder who is going to start at right tackle tomorrow, and I hope Bradford doesn't die.

That is all.

 

[BonifayRam]

So with our 2nd & 3rd OT's out of play maybe there is concern & worry about who is the Ram 4th OT after-all?

Just finished watching the Packer game...where Right OT Barksdale played with the #1's then Boudreau sent in Brandon Washington for several series then he moved to ORG & Chris Williams saw his first action of the game @ ORT.

Neither were effective.... I actually thought Washington preformed overall better than Chris myself. Then later DJ Young took over for Chris it was a jail break overall. Chris Williams should have outplayed Brandon Washington some concern here.

Back to Joe Barksdale play ...not bad he does very well with the initial contact but tends to falter & loose the upper hand as the play continues especially with the speeders...his run blocking is improving though.

 

[duckhunter]

Been super busy and haven't really had the time to post. Thanks to all the posters. Keeps me in the game.

There is some misinformation in this thread concerning MRSA. First understand that I have MRSA in my eye fluids. Rather than say there is no cure, they say it is resistant to antibiotics. Leads you to believe that they can control it which they can't. The top antibiotic which I have in my cabinet as a last ditch precaution can nearly eliminate it but can't. MRSA is also called the super bug because it can mutate to make all antibiotics ineffective. In my case, the bug mutates and moves up into the eyelash sockets to survive. Well, I'm in good company since the best opthamalogist in the area let it slip that nearly 50% of the doctors in a local hospital have the same problem as myself. Of course, since it is private medical info, it is not releasable who has what to the public. Can you say wash your hands multiple times a day and wash eyes morning and night and pray that you don't infect family or friends.

Worse is if it is in the bloodstream. Now I have had relatives died from it in association with other illnesses/conditions. I've had three others contract it. I had a relative although wearing gloves contract it from taking care of another relative who had MRSA. The fluid got on his hand and he popped a pimple or brushed a scratch and it entered his blood stream is the thinking. I don't have all the info but back then the doctors thought they might cut it out. No luck.

People in poor medical condition can die from it, people in good health will suffer probably later in life. Can you say sleeping giant.

Lawyers can have a hey day with this.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Been super busy and haven't really had the time to post. Thanks to all the posters. Keeps me in the game.

There is some misinformation in this thread concerning MRSA. First understand that I have MRSA in my eye fluids. Rather than say there is no cure, they say it is resistant to antibiotics. Leads you to believe that they can control it which they can't. The top antibiotic which I have in my cabinet as a last ditch precaution can nearly eliminate it but can't. MRSA is also called the super bug because it can mutate to make all antibiotics ineffective. In my case, the bug mutates and moves up into the eyelash sockets to survive. Well, I'm in good company since the best opthamalogist in the area let it slip that nearly 50% of the doctors in a local hospital have the same problem as myself. Of course, since it is private medical info, it is not releasable who has what to the public. Can you say wash your hands multiple times a day and wash eyes morning and night and pray that you don't infect family or friends.

Worse is if it is in the bloodstream. Now I have had relatives died from it in association with other illnesses/conditions. I've had three others contract it. I had a relative although wearing gloves contract it from taking care of another relative who had MRSA. The fluid got on his hand and he popped a pimple or brushed a scratch and it entered his blood stream is the thinking. I don't have all the info but back then the doctors thought they might cut it out. No luck.

People in poor medical condition can die from it, people in good health will suffer probably later in life. Can you say sleeping giant.

Lawyers can have a hey day with this.

Whoa. That's a hell of a deal, duck!

 

[CGI_Ram]

This story is kind of a big deal.

I mean, first and foremost I hope Barksdale is okay.

But... you don't stay behind (not travel with the team) if it's minor. Perhaps this is just precautionary.

We'll probably manage tonight's game well enough, but Barksdale needs the reps and Saffold can't be counted on.

The state of our Tackle situation is very-very scary right now.

 

[Thordaddy]

Been super busy and haven't really had the time to post. Thanks to all the posters. Keeps me in the game.

There is some misinformation in this thread concerning MRSA. First understand that I have MRSA in my eye fluids. Rather than say there is no cure, they say it is resistant to antibiotics. Leads you to believe that they can control it which they can't. The top antibiotic which I have in my cabinet as a last ditch precaution can nearly eliminate it but can't. MRSA is also called the super bug because it can mutate to make all antibiotics ineffective. In my case, the bug mutates and moves up into the eyelash sockets to survive. Well, I'm in good company since the best opthamalogist in the area let it slip that nearly 50% of the doctors in a local hospital have the same problem as myself. Of course, since it is private medical info, it is not releasable who has what to the public. Can you say wash your hands multiple times a day and wash eyes morning and night and pray that you don't infect family or friends.

Worse is if it is in the bloodstream. Now I have had relatives died from it in association with other illnesses/conditions. I've had three others contract it. I had a relative although wearing gloves contract it from taking care of another relative who had MRSA. The fluid got on his hand and he popped a pimple or brushed a scratch and it entered his blood stream is the thinking. I don't have all the info but back then the doctors thought they might cut it out. No luck.

People in poor medical condition can die from it, people in good health will suffer probably later in life. Can you say sleeping giant.

Lawyers can have a hey day with this.

Whoa dh scary tale there , being a wrestling coach , I saw more staph than I care to ,we had skin checks of every kid head to toe before every event attempting to control it ,it was the kiss of death for a program to get it in a room. If a kid had anything suspicious it had to be acknowledged and a Drs. note saying it wasn't contagious

I wasn't aware it actually had the ability to hide out that way, shingles does the same thing and actually has the ability to disguise itself.
I had a case of shingles two years ago that was from chicken pox hiding out in my body / disguising itself and laying dormant . The Drs. theory is that it disguised itself to look like my platelets and when it went active my immune system destroyed all my platelets literally , I was bleeding through my skin, spent 5 days in a hospital being checked every two hours with a pen light to see if my brain was bleeding,they pumped me full of immuno globulins to suppress my immune system so it would quit killing them put me on prednisone and my weight went through the roof.
I wrestled at 191 in college and since have tried to stay under 200 I am JUST now back south of 210,first time in two years.
We weren't meant to live forever, medical science is a great thing when it works , but we compete for space on this planet and if we ever won a total victory .....we'd have to become cannibals.

 

[fearsomefour]

So with our 2nd & 3rd OT's out of play maybe there is concern & worry about who is the Ram 4th OT after-all?

Just finished watching the Packer game...where Right OT Barksdale played with the #1's then Boudreau sent in Brandon Washington for several series then he moved to ORG & Chris Williams saw his first action of the game @ ORT.

Neither were effective.... I actually thought Washington preformed overall better than Chris myself. Then later DJ Young took over for Chris it was a jail break overall. Chris Williams should have outplayed Brandon Washington some concern here.

Back to Joe Barksdale play ...not bad he does very well with the initial contact but tends to falter & loose the upper hand as the play continues especially with the speeders...his run blocking is improving though.

I agree about Barksdales' run blocking, it appears he is much stronger....or maybe hand technique is better, either way, when he locks on he does well. Barksdale usually has just enough (and I do mean JUST enough) speed to push most speed rushers around the pocket, however, when he faces guys at the top end (like Matthews) who have some strength (to push his hands away) he isent quick enough to reposition. This is why all of the Rams tackles battling for backup positions have a hard time with double moves, it is very hard to find guys this size with quick enough feet to try to change direction and stay balanced. Most are either too slow they or they can make the move but they get all out of sorts, Joe is close to being able to do it. I am a Barksdale guy....and I think he has improved and is only 25. However, that speed rush element will be a tough one for him. He is our 3rd T, no doubt. If he can develop to the point where he can play with good technique and balance and deal with a double move like a spin move he could be a longterm T. He has some natural gifts for sure, it is worth investing the time in a guy that has shown the ability to play at the NFL level and is still young. As for the here and now of this season, we dont have a fourth T. Our best option (as you have stated all along I might add) there would be moving Dahl to RT. All I can think is get healthy Barrett Jones. Having Barnes and a healthy Jones and Smith (assuming Williams in the LG) gives enough depth inside to slide Dahl to RT if need be. I would not keep any of the Ts outside of starting two and Barksdale. In fact, I would give long hard thought to keeping 5 WRs or cutting Clemons or whatever needed to be done to bring in a vet T....Wayne Hunter is out there still, whats the vet minimum?

 

[duckhunter]

Thing is MRSA is very contagious. It can move from eye to hand with a wipe. If one doesn't wash his hands and touch someone else's hand and they rub their eyes. They've got it. Pretty much the same thing with rubbing a skin scratch if it contacts the blood.

I've been through the gown gloves and mask routine but you eventually have to live like normal folk. A doctor friend told me he's not so sure we shouldn't tear down all the hospitals over ten years old and start anew. It's not that the hospitals are not clean it just seems that they are the breeding ground.

Don't really know if in the NFL case it's being transferred by sweat or what. Not much info on the NFL circumstances and even then they will have a tough time completely eliminating it. Probably will see more in the future.

No one's asked the question but as a precaution similar to the isolation routine, they may be sitting Barksdale.

 

[max]

My view on this seems to be a bit different than others.

The first time your team gets hit with this type of thing you worry about the people recovering quickly and then making sure everything gets sanitized so nothing happens again.

The SECOND time it happens, certainly you worry first about the people recovering quickly. But then you get your team the hell of that place. It's just not safe enough.

What I'm saying here is that I've been leaning toward the Rams staying in STL, but if my team gets this ugly thing again in this town then I'm driving the bandwagon all the way back to LA.

 

[TexRamFan]

I am a little confused by this story.

His agent said it is not believed to be MRSA, yet the story goes on to say that he went to the doctor and was treated and given anti-biotics. What was he treated for? A basic infection?

You would think they (doctors) would have had the test results before they gave him anti-biotics.

And if this was the case and they had negative test results why would the agent say "it is not believed to be MRSA". I guess I am reading to much into the quotes. I would just feel better if he said "the tests confirmed he does NOT have MRSA", it is just an infection.

I am not for sure when the Rams traveled, but if Barksdale went to the doctors on Friday I would bet the Rams staff took the cautious route and said you are not traveling, lets get to the doctor ASAP. So hopefully is was just a precaution.

MRSA is no joking matter and I would hate to see that stuff spread around.

 

[BuiltRamTough]

This stuff is dangerous. I pray to the players in Tampa man.

 

[Thordaddy]

My view on this seems to be a bit different than others.

The first time your team gets hit with this type of thing you worry about the people recovering quickly and then making sure everything gets sanitized so nothing happens again.

The SECOND time it happens, certainly you worry first about the people recovering quickly. But then you get your team the hell of that place. It's just not safe enough.

What I'm saying here is that I've been leaning toward the Rams staying in STL, but if my team gets this ugly thing again in this town then I'm driving the bandwagon all the way back to LA.

Ya think that's far enough max ?

They changed the turf last time and what they need to do FWIW is get on a rotational system of sanitation.

We had to mop our mats with sanitizer ,kids for years used a product called Kenshield, <a class="postlink" href="http://www.cuvo.com/skincare/kenshield.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.cuvo.com/skincare/kenshield.html</a> we used disinfectant wipes yada yada, but for ALL our efforts we still had to expose our wrestlers to people less vigilant . I vividly remember being in a massive locker room when one of my wrestlers was applying the stuff and three wrestlers from another team asked what the stuff was.
I had the job for two years of standing AT the door of our practice facility dispensing the stuff to every kid as they entered ,we still got the krud, ringworm, herpes gladitorium, and sometimes staph.

St.Louis ain't the problem to whatever extent it might be,moving will only protect you until your first inter squad scrimmage and FWIW the possibility exists that the worst thing TB did to endanger the Patriots season wasn't the overzealous hit on Brady.

Blue spectrum light kills the stuff and lighting could BE the answer
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.webmd.com/news/20090204/blue-light-kills-mrsa" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.webmd.com/news/20090204/blue ... kills-mrsa</a>

 

[BonifayRam]

You will take meds for Staff infections. The strength of the meds (antibiotics) depends on how bad the wound is. Hand infections due to their location is an easy way to spread a staff infection to others. It will take a little time to get back the sample test results from the infection to see what type of infection it is.

 

[duckhunter]

Most times when they say people in a hospital had staph infection, it could or could not have been MRSA. The medical profession doesn't want to scare people so like anything it is often glossed over. There is no part of the country really safer than others. LA has it just as much as STL or NO or DC. You can run but you can't hide.

When you have a closed select group of individuals that interact weekly and one is infected often the entire group is going to be infected at some point unless precautions, etc are taken. The bug manifests itself differently in different people for numerous reasons beyond the medical profession's current level of knowledge. As in my case, you never would know since it is limited to my eye fluids but someone with it in their blood can succumb to it.

As far as I know there is no mandatory testing in the NFL so you really don't know with any degree of certainty. As my doctors told me it is floating in the air so I would think it is airborne besides contact.

 

[max]

You will take meds for Staff infections. The strength of the meds (antibiotics) depends on how bad the wound is. Hand infections due to their location is an easy way to spread a staff infection to others. It will take a little time to get back the sample test results from the infection to see what type of infection it is.

Makes sense that they didn't want barksdale on the plane.