Report: Mice Infested Mo. Hospital KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Maggots were born in the noses of two comatose patients four years ago at a city Veteran's Administration hospital infested by mice and flies, according to a medical journal report released Monday. The story in the Archives of Internal Medicine details the 1998 infestation. It said mice would sometimes dash over the feet of employees in the hospital director's suite. Hospital officials said the hospital no longer has any cleanliness problems. Barbara Shatto, the hospital's quality manager, said the hospital scored 99 out of 100 when it was inspected by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations in October. "We learned from that incident and took action to make sure it doesn't happen again," said Pat Landon, the hospital's director of facilities. The infestation started with a housecleaning oversight, according to the article. Dr. Stephen Klotz, then the hospital's chief of infectious disease, said the mice moved in after the cafeteria and food storage areas were dropped from a cleaning list. Some areas weren't cleaned for at least a year, according to the article. By July 1998, a pest control contractor put out bait and glue boards to kill the mice. Inspectors later found dead mice in food storage rooms, mouse nests behind boxes on food shelves, and mouse droppings on the floor of a cafeteria work room. Live mice were found in a large wastebasket. Cleaners missed some of the dead mice, which attracted flies. Green blowflies like to lay their eggs in dead mice. Electronic fly-control devices were installed, and pest-control workers began using live traps for the mice. Some of the flies flew into the hospital's intensive-care unit, where they were trapped by automatic doors and kept away from mouse carcasses. Maggots were found in the nostrils of one patient on July 22, 1998, the article said. Maggots were found in the nose of a second patient on Sept. 30, 1998. Klotz said the maggots were removed immediately and that neither patient was harmed by the infestation. The first patient died two days after the maggots were found but the cause of death was unrelated. "They're ghastly," he said, "but they're harmless." Klotz said he found a few other cases where flies laid eggs in patients at other hospitals.
I read that in the Chronicle and I was like WTF? How can their be rats and other crap in a hospital in the US?!?
The nurses did it so they wouldn't have to pick the coma patients' noses for them!!!! The maggots feed on the boogers. It's a cover-up. CONSPIRACY
It's gross, but the maggots are getting a bad rap. It was observed during the Civil War that the men whose wounds harbored maggots had a smaller chance of those wounds becoming seriously infected. The maggots actually feed only on the rotting and decaying flesh, leaving the healthy flesh intact. In fact, I recently saw a show on Discovery that interviewed doctors who are using maggot therapy to help keep persistent wounds from becoming infected. You may return to your lunch now.
Yeah.. didn't ya'll see Gladiator? actually Maggot therapy works when the doctors apply the maggots, not the flies themselves!! Haha... "paging Dr. Fly, Dr. Fly to E.R. stat!"
You didn't see that on the discovery channel, you saw that while watching Gladiator! Trying to act all smart and stuff
Was that the one where they spread the maggots over the guys foot and ankle to kill the infection and speed the recovery?
