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Mazzystr
Gym climber
Homeless...
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 12, 2008 - 02:37pm PT
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Any know anything about mysterious bacterial infections in yosemite?
We were in the valley for the last 11 days. last week monday my buddy complained about feeling like his arm was badly bruised or broke. We had just climbed Nutcracker and he got the Pitch2 5.7 offwidth pitch. We all shrugged it off thinking well maybe he did some kind of wierd offwidth move that tweeked his elbow and arm. A couple days went by and he complained more and more and we postulated tendon or muscle tweak, microfracture, etc. By weds he was feverish and migraine headachy. He couldn't stand the pain so he went to the Yosemite hospital. His arm was swollen and puffy from mid upper arm down to his hand. his elbow was black and appeared bruised. The nurses said his elbow was full of fluid. They put him on a 24hr antibiotic. 24hrs later he was in worse shape. The infection expanded about an inch and a half beyond the previous infected area. They put him on a different antibiotic administered through IV. He went through two treatments before we had to leave yesterday morning.
We arrived back in NC last night 11pm and he went to the local hospital ER. They admitted him immediately. His infection has spread another inch beyond the marked region despite heavy duty antibiotics. His whole arm is now swollen to twice the size of a regular arm.
I can think of a few scenarios that he could have gotten an infection like this...
1 - he got chewed up a bit on the Nutcracker offwidth. Someone pissed or shat down the crack from the p2 belay platform.
2 - he got chewed up a bit on the Nutcracker offwidth and he put his arms on the nasty picnic table at Camp4 and picked something up there.
3 - he got chewed up a bit on the Nutcracker offwidth and we went to the curry showerhouse and he picked up a bug up there. I know the showerhouses are gross but are they that gross? but who knows what goes on behind curtain...
4 - he got a bug bite? but he would notice right away if it was a spider or snake bite, right? like "FK! what the FK was that???" kind of noticing.
possibly 5 - hes into tatoo's and he picked something up before going to the valley and it exploded while we were out there.
Has anyone heard of a similiar case? any advice? I know I know amputation is always the cure but this is my buddy and climbing partner. I'm getting worried for him that he my loose the arm and I don't want that to happen to my friend and climbing partner.
Thanks,
/Chris C
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jstan
climber
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Oct 12, 2008 - 02:55pm PT
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Brown recluse spider bite?
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Mazzystr
Gym climber
Homeless...
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2008 - 02:58pm PT
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are they around this late in season?
/chris
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Indianclimber
Trad climber
Lost Wages
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Oct 12, 2008 - 03:02pm PT
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Some bites you don't feel when they happen,specially
if your busy chewing up your arms in an offwidth
This is a scary scenario hopefully someone here can help
Best of luck
Ninfa
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Indianclimber
Trad climber
Lost Wages
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Oct 12, 2008 - 03:04pm PT
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Brown recluse info
Brown recluse bites may go unnoticed for a period of time, or the person might begin to experience an itching or burning sensation as early as 30 minutes from the time that they were bitten. Typically, within eight hours a necrotic spot may develop which can enlarge to the size of a silver dollar or larger. If these symptoms appear, then the area can become sunken and ulcerated. Some reaction may or may not occur with these bites, typically there can be a fever, severe chest or stomach pain, nausea and/or vomiting
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Oct 12, 2008 - 03:05pm PT
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Has the hospital done any blood or other tests, to determine what it is? Presumably they believe it's a bacterial infection, or they wouldn't be giving him antibiotics.
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Mazzystr
Gym climber
Homeless...
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2008 - 03:16pm PT
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the nurses called is cellulitis. its been a week and his symptoms are swelling, redness and soreness in his arm and fever and nausea. if it was a brown recluse bite then the surrounding tissue would be decomposed and it'd be all gross.
he has had three doses of amoxicillin administered through IV. I don't know what he's on right now but the mox was supposed to be the "Mother of all Bombs" when it comes to infections.
i'll keep you guys updated on his condition.
/chris c
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paganmonkeyboy
climber
mars...it's near nevada...
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Oct 12, 2008 - 04:03pm PT
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damn - i hope he kicks it...scary...
-tom
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Michelle
Trad climber
El Frickin' Paso
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Oct 12, 2008 - 04:23pm PT
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ouch, that sounds like no fun. Is he suffering from compartment syndrome too?
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Mazzystr
Gym climber
Homeless...
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2008 - 04:55pm PT
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Jezez! Thanks for the update Karl!
I will relay the information.
/Chris
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BurnRockBurn
climber
South of Black Rock City
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Oct 12, 2008 - 04:55pm PT
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Agree with Karl. We see those type of infections in the ER all the time. Nasty if not treated right away. Unfortunately getting more and more common even for healthy people. Best of luck on the treatment.
BRB
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Mazzystr
Gym climber
Homeless...
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2008 - 05:19pm PT
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I just spoke with Rush. He is being moved into surgery. They think the source of the infection is that sac of fluid in his elbow. Remember we are in North Carolina and these f*#kers don't know how to count to 10...just look at Concourse C in Charlotte Douglas Airport and he [spelling correction] is not at the prestigious Duke University hospital system. My worry is upped another notch.
I gave him the information regarding the MRSA infection to relay to doctors.
I'm on my way to the hospital. His family is all 4hrs away. I'll update when I can.
Thanks,
/Chris
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Oct 12, 2008 - 05:40pm PT
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"They think the source of the infection is that sac of fluid in his elbow."
It was a sac of fluid that they had to remove from my Mom's knee.
Hope the docs find the problem, whatever it is
peace
Karl
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nick d
Trad climber
nm
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Oct 12, 2008 - 05:48pm PT
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I had a similar infection several years ago. I damaged the bursa sac in my elbow manteling. Payton Manning just had to have a surgery for removal of the bursa in his knee. I think it is a pretty common scenario.
All of us are covered with staph bacteria and all it takes is a miniscule hole in your skin to get it inside. The fluid in your bursa is a perfect culturing material. Good luck to your friend, I hope he makes a complete and swift recovery.
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ec
climber
ca
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Oct 12, 2008 - 06:06pm PT
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O/W???????????????
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Bullwinkle
Boulder climber
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Oct 12, 2008 - 06:11pm PT
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yeah!!! What 5.7 offsize? where?on the Nutcracker? all these years and I've missed it?
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Brock
Trad climber
RENO, NV
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Oct 12, 2008 - 06:15pm PT
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hope it is not fascitis..
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