The Facts About MRSA

The Facts About MRSA

Definition
* MRSA infection is caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria — often called "staph." MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It's a strain of staph that's resistant to the broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly used to treat it. MRSA can be fatal.

Symptoms
Most Staph skin infections, including MRSA, generally start as small red bumps that resemble and quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses. The often resemble pimples, boils or spider bites. What to look for:
*Redness
* Swollen
*Warmth
*Tenderness
*Pus or drainage (yellow or white)
*A fever may or may not be present- see your healthcare professional if any of the symptoms are present




Risk Factors for MRSA
* Contact during sports- high risk sports include football and wrestling but all sports are at risk
* Sharing of personal items such as towels, razors, uniforms, clothing
* Skin to skin contact to lesions, cuts, abrasions

What should I do if I think I have an MRSA infection?
* Tell your parent, coach, athletic trainer, school nurse, team doctor or other healthcare provider if you think you have an infection so it can be treated quickly. Finding infections early and getting care will reduce the amount of playing time lost and decrease the chance that the infection will become severe.
* Pay attention for signs of infections such as redness, warmth, swelling, pus, and pain at sites where your skin has sores, abrasions, or cuts. Sometimes these infections can be confused with spider bites.
* Infections can also occur at sites covered by body hair or where uniforms or equipment cause skin irritation or increased rubbing.
* Do not try to treat the infection yourself by picking or popping the sore.
* Cover possible infections with clean dry bandages until you can be seen by a healthcare provider (e.g., doctor, nurse, athletic trainer).
* Keep an eye on minor skin problems — pimples, insect bites, cuts and scrapes — especially in children. If wounds become infected, see your doctor.

How do I protect myself from getting MRSA and other skin infections?
* Wash your hands. Careful hand washing remains your best defense against germs. Scrub hands briskly for at least 15 seconds, then dry them with a disposable towel and use another towel to turn off the faucet. Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol for times when you don't have access to soap and water.
* Keep personal items personal i.e. razors, towels…
* Keep wounds covered. Keep cuts and abrasions clean and covered with sterile, dry bandages until they heal.
* Sanitize linens. If you have a cut or sore, wash towels and bed linens in a washing machine set to the "hot" water setting (with added bleach, if possible) and dry them in a hot dryer. Wash gym and athletic clothes after each wearing.

- http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735
- http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_MRSA.html
- http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/ed_outreach/health-safety/healthcare/sports_med_education/infectious_prevention.htm

National Hazing Awareness Week Nov 3rd-7th

Statistics
· 1.5 million high school students are hazed each year; 47% of students came to college already having experienced hazing.
· 55% of college students involved in clubs, teams and organizations experience hazing.
· Alcohol consumption, humiliation, isolation, sleep-deprivation, and sexual acts are hazing practices common across all types of student groups.
· 40% of athletes who reported being involved in hazing behaviors report that a coach or advisor was aware of the activity; 22% report that the coach was involved.
· 2 in 5 students say they are aware of hazing taking place on their campus. More than 1 in 5 report that they witnessed hazing personally.
· In 95% of cases where students identified their experience as hazing, they did not report the events to campus officials.
· Nine out of ten students who have experienced hazing behavior in college do not consider themselves to have been hazed.
· 36% of students say they would not report hazing primarily because "there's no one to tell," and 27% feel that adults won't handle it right.
· As of November 1, 2007, the number of recorded hazing/pledging/rushing-related deaths in fraternities and sororities stands at 89 - 83 males and 6 females.
· 82% of deaths from hazing involve alcohol.

Monday 11/3 @ 7:00 – “Hazing, Harassment, Alcohol, and the Internet”- Speaker Janet Judge- RCC Auditorium
Tuesday 11/4 @10-5 – Remembering the Victims Memorial-Campus Center Lower Lobby
Wednesday 11/5 @ 6 – Hazing Panel Discussion: Ask the Campus Experts - RCC Demo Room
Thursday 11/6 @ 7 – Unless a Death Occurs: Documentary- Moakley Auditorium


Brought to you by: Office of Student Involvement & Leadership, Panhellenic Council, Athletics & Recreation, and Phi Sigma Sigma sorority

Drug Testing Part II- Div. III Drug Testing Pilot Program

So last week we blogged about NCAA post season championship tournament drug testing. Hopefully everyone got the main idea that each and every collegiate athlete can be drug tested in post season tournament. You are not exempt at Division III.

This weeks focus is on the DIVISION III DRUG TESTING PILOT PROGRAM we have been talking to you about. This is a pilot program to determine if the NCAA will consider putting in place the same drug testing policy that Div. I and Div. II have. We are a part of this pilot program study here at BSC along with other MASCAC and Div.III schools. With one year and one drug testing under our belt, we have made some modifications and new ways to get the information out to you. Again, I will pull from the NCAA website and give you the information "straight from the horses mouth". Here is a link to an informative video about drug testing which I found to be very good at answering any general questions about the drug testing. Well worth the 12 minutes!
http://web1.ncaa.org/web_video/health_and_safety/drug-testing/2006-07/video150.html

Frequently Asked Questions:

How will student-athletes be selected for drug testing at each school?
All teams and all student-athletes are subject to drug testing if their institution has volunteered to be a part of the NCAA Division III Drug Testing Pilot Program. Drug Free Sport will determine the teams that will be tested at each school. The site coordinator will provide Drug Free Sport the NCAA Squad List for each team that has been selected for drug testing. Drug Free Sport then selects student-athletes from the NCAA Squad List. Student-athletes may be selected on the basis of position, playing time, an NCAA approved random selection or any combination thereof.

How many student-athletes from each Division III school will be tested?
Sixteen to 20 student-athletes at each Division III school may be selected for testing. Student athletes can be tested during their traditional season of competition (e.g. in season) as well as
during their non-traditional season of competition (e.g. out of season). Division III student athletes will not be tested during the summer.

Who will notify the student-athletes that they have been selected for drug testing?
The site coordinator is the person responsible for notifying the student-athlete of his or her
selection for drug testing as well as the date and time to report to the collection station. The
NCAA requires that notification must be made in-person or by direct telephone communication
(e.g. no voice mail and no email). Upon being informed of the impending drug test, the student athlete will be required to read and sign an NCAA drug testing notification form.

For what drugs will the NCAA be testing?
Division III student-athletes who participate in the NCAA Division III Drug Testing Pilot
Program will be tested for the following classes of drugs: anabolic agents, diuretics, peptide
hormones, urine manipulators, psychomotor and CNS stimulants, and street drugs. Refer to the
NCAA’s Banned Drug Classes List for specific examples of substances that fall within each
class. Go here for a list of banned substances http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=282

Where are the urine samples analyzed?
The UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory in Los Angeles, California analyzes all NCAA urine
samples. The UCLA laboratory is one of the most respected sport drug testing laboratories in the
world and is certified by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Who will learn of the results of the drug tests?
The UCLA laboratory will report all drug testing results to Drug Free Sport. For purposes of the
NCAA Division III Drug Testing Pilot Program, Drug Free Sport will not report individual
results to the institution. The institution may request that it receive results quantitatively. For
example, “of the 20 student-athletes that were tested at your institution on October 12, 2007, 19 samples were negative and one sample was positive for an anabolic steroid.” The name, gender, specific drug or sport will not be reported to the institution. Furthermore, no NCAA sanctions will be imposed on either the student-athlete or the institution should there be a positive result. At the end of every semester, Drug Free Sport will provide quantitative drug testing data regarding the NCAA Division III Drug Testing Pilot Program to the Committee on Competititive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport, the NCAA committee responsible for all drug education and drug-testing programs, as well as to the Division III Management and Presidents Councils.

What if I don't show up for the test?
For any athlete who has been selected for drug testing at Bridgewater State College and does not show up for the test, BSC will enforce an in house penalty of 1 game suspension. If you are tested out of season, your game suspension will carry over to your next season.

How can I find out if a supplement or other substance I take is banned?
Drug Free Sport has an excellent resource that is confidential. Go to www.drugfreesport.com/rec and put in the password ncaa3. Here you can ask any question you have about substances. We often use this when an athlete asks us and have found it to be very informative.


Who can I contact to learn more about the NCAA Division III Pilot Drug Testing
Program?
Mary Wilfert
Associate Director of Education Outreach
NCAA
317/917-6319
mwilfert@ncaa.org

Andrea Wickerham
Legal Relations & Policy Director
The National Center for Drug Free Sport
816/474-8655 Ext. 118
awickerham@drugfreesport.com

Drug Testing: Part 1

DRUG TESTING PART 1: POST SEASON NCAA TOURNAMENT DRUG TESTING

IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE!

As we enter into the final weeks of the fall seasons, we want to take the opportunity to review drug testing. There are two types of drug testing that BSC can be part of:

1. Post season NCAA Championship tournament testing

2. Div. III drug testing pilot program trial that BSC is part of.

We want to make sure that you all know the differences and understand that if you are selected for a post season tournament drug test- full NCAA consequences are in order. The pilot testing trial drug testing program BSC is part of will be outlined in the next blog. You must be aware that if you are drug tested in the NCAA tournament- this is separate from the Div. III drug testing pilot program which we have spoken to you about. Please read below information regarding POST SEASON NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP DRUG TESTING INFORMATION. This information is taken directly from http://www.ncaa.org/

When is drug testing conducted at the championship?
*Drug testing can occur at any phase of an NCAA championship (e.g., first round, second round, quarterfinals, semi-finals or finals).
*Drug testing can occur more than once at any championship (e.g., first round and finals).
*Participating institutions and student-athletes are not given any advance notice that drug testing is being conducted at the championship.

When will student-athletes be notified of their selection for drug testing?
*At team championships (e.g., basketball, bowling, ice hockey), immediately after the game, an NCAA drug-testing crewmember will provide an institutional representative with a list of student-athletes who have been selected for drug testing.

*At individual/team championships (e.g., fencing, gymnastics, rifle, skiing, swimming & diving, track & field, wrestling), official drug-testing couriers will notify student-athletes of their selection for drug testing.
Refer to section 4.0 and 5.0 of the 2006-2007 Drug-Testing Program booklet for more specific information.

How are student-athletes tested and how long does it take?
Student-athletes are drug tested through urinalysis.
Student-athletes will be observed by a drug-testing crewmember of the same gender.
The length of the collection process depends on the student-athlete’s ability to provide an adequate specimen. If a student-athlete provides an adequate specimen immediately upon arriving at the drug-testing station, the entire process usually is completed in less than 20 minutes.

What if a student-athlete has trouble providing an adequate specimen? Can the student-athlete leave and come back later? What if the team has to leave and the student-athlete is still in drug testing?
The student-athlete cannot be released from drug testing until an adequate specimen is provided. If the student-athlete’s team must depart the championship prior to a student-athlete completing drug testing, an institutional representative must stay with the student-athlete.
If the student-athlete and/or institution incur additional expenses because of the delay (e.g., hotel, transportation back to campus), the institution may request reimbursement from the NCAA.

Some events begin late at night which means drug testing will start late as well. What is the NCAA policy on late-night drug testing?
The late-night testing policy only pertains to team championship events (e.g., basketball, bowling, ice hockey). An institution may defer drug testing until the next morning if their game begins at 9pm or later local time. (See section 5.3.2 in the 2006-2007 NCAA Drug-Testing Program booklet) The decision to defer drug testing applies to the entire team and must be determined by the institution immediately after the game. All selected student-athletes can either test that night after the game or test the next morning. (See section 5.3.2.1 in the 2006-2007 NCAA Drug-Testing Program booklet) If an institution decides to defer drug testing until The next morning, the test must start before 10am local time. An institutional representative must be present at the collection site the next morning to identify selected student-athletes.

How can a student-athlete find out whether a medication or supplement is banned?
In advance of the championship, student-athletes should consult with their athletic trainer or team physician about any medication or dietary supplements they use.
The Resource Exchange Center (REC) is available to answer questions regarding NCAA banned substances at www.drugfreesport.com/rec.

What about dietary supplements?
Many nutritional/dietary supplements contain NCAA banned substances. In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not strictly regulate the supplement industry; therefore purity and safety of nutritional/dietary supplements cannot be guaranteed. Impure supplements may lead to a positive NCAA drug test. The use of supplements is at the student-athlete’s own risk.

Are over-the-counter dietary supplements approved by the NCAA?
The NCAA does not approve any dietary supplement. Furthermore, the use of any dietary supplement can lead to a positive NCAA drug test.

Does a student-athlete have to disclose the use of prescription medications to the drug-testing crew?
No. The drug-testing crews do not ask or accept any information about medications student-athletes are taking. The team physician/athletic trainer should be aware of all prescribed medications (and supplements) a student-athlete is taking. This information should be kept on file at the institution. If a student-athlete tests positive because of a prescription medication, the institution may request a medical exception for certain banned drug classes as outlined in the NCAA Drug-Testing Exceptions Procedures at http://www.ncaa.org/health-safety.

Can student-athletes beat a drug test by consuming large amounts of fluids?
No. NCAA protocol requires each student-athlete’s urine sample be analyzed onsite prior to sending the sample to the lab.
If the specimen is too dilute, the student-athlete will be required to remain in drug testing until an adequate specimen is collected. This could take several hours.

Mosquitoes: The Facts about EEE

EEE Fact Sheet
PUBLIC HEALTH FACT SHEET

***** EEE has been found in Southeastern MA. in the recent weeks. Please beware of the following information and guidelines******

Eastern Equine Encephalitis
What is Eastern Equine Encephalitis? Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is a rare but serious disease caused by a virus. The virus infects birds that live in freshwater swamps and is spread from bird to bird by infected mosquitoes. If a mosquito infected with the virus bites a horse or human, the animal or person can become sick. The risk of getting EEE is highest from late July through September.

What are the symptoms of EEE? The first symptoms of EEE are high fever (103º to106ºF), stiff neck, headache, and lack of energy. These symptoms show up three to ten days after someone is bitten by an infected mosquito. Inflammation and swelling of the brain, called encephalitis, is the most dangerous symptom. The disease gets worse quickly and some patients may go into a coma within a week.

What is the treatment for EEE? There is no cure for EEE, and three of every ten people who get the disease die from it. All doctors can do is lower the fever and ease the pressure on the brain. Some people who survive this disease will be permanently disabled. Few people recover completely.

How is EEE spread? The virus that causes EEE is spread only by mosquitoes. People and horses with EEE do not spread the disease.

What can you do to protect yourself? There is an EEE vaccine for horses, but not for people. The best way to protect yourself is to keep mosquitoes from biting you. Follow these steps every summer to reduce your risk of being bitten by mosquitoes, particularly if you live near natural wetlands.
* If you must be outdoors at dusk or dawn, when mosquitoes that carry EEE are most active, wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants. Take special care to cover up the arms and legs of children playing outdoors.
* Use repellents containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) and choose a product that will provide sufficient protection for the amount of time spent outdoors. Product labels often indicate the length of time that someone can expect protection from a product. DEET is considered safe when used according to the manufacturer’s directions. Products containing DEET should not be used on children less than 2 months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or lower for older children and adults. Mosquito netting may be used to cover infant carriers or to protect other areas for children less than 2 months of age. The following precautions should be observed when using DEET products:
* Avoid using DEET products that combine the repellent with a sunscreen. Sunscreens may need to be reapplied too often, resulting in an over application of DEET.
* Apply DEET on exposed skin, using only as much as needed.
* Do not use DEET on the hands of young children and avoid applying repellent to areas around the eyes and mouth.
* Do not use DEET over cuts, wounds or irritated skin.
* Wash treated skin with soap and water after returning indoors and wash treated clothing.
* Avoid spraying DEET products in enclosed areas.


What can you do to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and neighborhood? To reduce mosquito populations around your home and neighborhood, get rid of any standing water that is available for mosquito breeding. Mosquitoes will begin to breed in any puddle or standing water that lasts for more than four days. Here are some simple steps you can take:
* Dispose of or regularly empty any metal cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots, and other water holding containers (including trash cans) on your property.
* Pay special attention to discarded tires that may have collected on your property. Stagnant water in tires is a common place for mosquitoes to breed.
* Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left outdoors, so that water can drain out.
* Clean clogged roof gutters; remove leaves and debris that may prevent drainage of rainwater.
* Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.
* Tires that may have collected on your property. Stagnant water in tires is a common place for mosquitoes
* Do not allow water to stagnate in birdbaths; aerate ornamental ponds or stock them with fish.
* Keep swimming pools clean and properly chlorinated; remove standing water from pool covers. * Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property.

What does the state do to protect people from EEE? Massachusetts developed a Surveillance and Response Plan that coordinates efforts of local officials and state agencies to reduce the risk of EEE. The plan involves checking for the virus in mosquitoes, reducing the number of mosquitoes in the environment, and educating people on ways to avoid mosquito bites. Every year from May until the first hard frost, the MDPH and local mosquito control projects collect mosquitoes from various locations around the state and send them to the State Laboratory for testing. If the virus that causes EEE is found in mosquitoes, MDPH will tell local boards of health and mosquito control projects and ask them to increase their education and mosquito control activities. MDPH provides educational materials for physicians, veterinarians, local public health officials, and the public along with updates on EEE activity in mosquitoes, horses and humans online.

For more information:
For general questions about EEE: MDPH, Division of Epidemiology and Immunization at 617-983-6800 or toll free at 1-888-658-2850 or online at www.mass.gov/dph/wnv/wnv1.htm. You may also contact your local board of health (listed in the telephone directory under “government”)
For questions about health effects of pesticides: MDPH, Center for Environmental Health at (617) 624-5757
For general information about mosquito control: visit the following webpage www.mass.gov/agr/mosquito/index.htm or contact the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board within the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources at (617) 626-1777.
For questions about mosquito control in your city or town: Contact your local board of health (listed in the telephone directory under “government”)