What was ADDIE diagnosed with?

Doctors ordered a culture of her blood, and found her body was overcome with a Staphylococcus infection, a condition called sepsis. The infection had begun growing as an abscess in her hip muscle, and spread into her blood, eventually causing a devastating bacterial pneumonia in her lungs.

What disease did Addie have?

She suffered from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a difficult-to-treat staph infection.

Why did Addie get so sick?

Addie Rerecich was only 11 years old when she was hospitalized with MRSA, an infection her doctor said she likely caught by picking at a scab — like so many kids do. While in the hospital, she contracted an untreatable form of the bacteria stenotrophomonas that nearly took her life.

What infection was Addie's first diagnosis?

SEAN ELLIOT: In Addie's case, she was a skin picker. She, as do many kids, picked at her little scabs. And that was likely what introduced the staph infection. NARRATOR: But the staph was just the start of Addie's troubles.

How did Addie get infected with stenotrophomonas?

She was on a breathing tube because of the pneumonia, and she got an even more resistant strain of bacteria. What was that? HOFFMAN: The more resistant strain is called stenotrophomonas. And because Addie had all these tubes in her in the hospital, probably from one of those tubes she got infected with this strain.

Patient Story: Addie

What did doctors believe Addy was infected with initially?

Doctors initially believed Addie was infected with MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aur...

What does Stenotrophomonas do to the body?

S. maltophilia has been implicated in respiratory tract infections, endocarditis, bacteremia, meningitis and UTI. In addition, severe cutaneous infections (ecthyma gangrenosum similar to that due to P. aeruginosa), cellulitis and abscesses (wounds resulting from agricultural machinery) have been reported.

What did they find in Addy's lungs?

She had developed infections caused by several drug-resistant bacteria – including extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and a resistant form of pneumonia caused by Enterobacter aerogenes.

Did Addie get a lung transplant?

Rerecich received a lifesaving double lung transplant. Addison Rerecich, who made headlines and medical history in 2011 when she contracted an antibiotic-resistant staph infection that led to a double lung transplant weeks before she turned 12, died on Monday, Dec. 30.

What was Addie's first symptom?

Addie's nightmare started when she developed an ache in her hip. At first, she and her mom, Tonya, chalked it up to a strain from softball practice. But then Addie's temperature spiked to 103 degrees. Doctors concluded that she had a virus.

Can MRSA in lungs be cured?

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The bacteria can cause an infection on the skin and in the lungs. It is resistant to several common antibiotics. But MRSA can be treated with some antibiotics, nose drops, and other therapies.

What is a staph infection in the lungs?

Staphylococcal pneumonia is a disease process that requires prompt diagnosis, as sequelae can lead to complications such as severe necrotizing pneumonia, bacteremia, or sepsis with or without shock. Staphylococcal pneumonia can be seen in a post-viral state.

Why was ADDIE crying?

Jewel swears that his horse will never eat anything of Anse's and will never cost him a cent. Addie is shocked that her son has been keeping this secret. She starts crying, and Cash consoles her and leads her into the house. Later that same night, Darl sees their mother crying next to Jewel's bed.

What did Addie get from ECMO?

The ECMO machine performed the functions that Addie's heart and lungs normally did. This gave the organs a chance to rest and heal from the ordeal. ECMO acts as an artificial lung and also can pump the patient's blood back into their body at the same rate as the heart.

Why penicillin is not working anymore?

The overuse of antibiotics in recent years means they're becoming less effective and has led to the emergence of "superbugs". These are strains of bacteria that have developed resistance to many different types of antibiotics, including: MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)

Why is it that Addie got sick then got a little better then sick again then a little better then eventually very sick?

Addie got worse because the antibiotics stopped working for her. The antibiotics stopped working when the bacteria developed and evolved. This led doctors to work against time and bacteria to find a cure for Addie as her health deteriorates.

How old was Addie when she got sick?

Addison Rerecich contracted an antibiotic-resistant staph infection and underwent a double lung transplant when she was 11 years old. She spent three months in the hospital, where her nurses gave her the nickname "Pink Ninja."

What happened to David Ricci?

One morning while I was walking to the orphanage, I took a shortcut across some train tracks to avoid the trash-filled roadside. All of the sudden I was hit and dragged by a train, resulting in the brutal amputation of my right leg above the knee.

What was going on inside Addie?

Addie got infections of two different kinds. Our evidence is that the doctors called the bacteria MRSA for one kind and Stenotrophomonas​ for the second kind.

Why did Addy have peanut oil in her locker?

Addy has a small vial of peanut oil in her locker, which she claims is part of her makeup, and her ready-made excuse for how refined peanut oil must be in order to trigger someone's allergies only makes her look more guilty.

Where do gram-negative bacteria live in the body?

Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections. coli) are a group of gram-negative bacteria that normally reside in the intestine of healthy people, but some strains can cause infection in the digestive... read more.

What is the old name for Stenotrophomonas?

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has had multiple different names in the past. It was first found in a pleural effusion in 1943 and given the name Bacterium bookeri. It was then renamed to Pseudomonas maltophilia in 1961. It was moved to the genus Xanthomonas in 1983, and most recently to Stenotrophomonas in 1993.

What is the survival rate of Stenotrophomonas?

In uncontrolled clinical trials, crude mortality rates reported to be associated with S. maltophilia bacteremia have had a range of 21%–69% [9, 10]. However, many patients with S. maltophilia bacteremia have significant underlying illnesses.

How do people get Stenotrophomonas?

Sources of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infections have included sink drains, hand-washing soap, contaminated disinfectants, nebulizers, and even hospital suction tubing. Additionally, showerheads and faucets tend to be a favorite hiding spot for the bug.