This would be so simple to solve if we had any form of damage diagnosis, what areas are dead vs the damaged areas, as shown by scans. But no, lets throw our hands up in the air. So ask your doctor how to prevent such infections.
The Shirky principle in action.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/257047.php
First three paragraphs only.
The March 2013 issue of Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation,
the medical journal of the American Congress of Rehabilitation
Medicine, features an article by Kessler researchers Pasquale Frisina,
PhD, Ann Kutlik, BA, and A.M. Barrett, MD. Left-sided brain injury
associated with more hospital-acquired infections during inpatient
rehabilitation* has implications for further research into
brain-mediated immune defenses, infection control practices and
cognitive rehabilitation strategies to improve outcomes after stroke and traumatic brain injury. The study was supported by Kessler Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (grant nos. R01NS055808, K24HD062647).
The authors, a team of stroke specialists from Kessler Foundation and
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, report findings of a retrospective
study of 2236 inpatients with brain lesions caused by traumatic brain
injury or stroke. Hospital-acquired infection (HAI), a common
complication that adversely affects outcomes and costs, was defined as
infection diagnosed within 48 to 72 hours of admission. Of the 163
patients identified as having hospital-acquired infections, 60.1% had
left-sided lesions. This finding was consistent with the hypothesis that
a left-dominant brain immune network (LD-BIN) may influence the
occurrence of HAI during inpatient rehabilitation for stroke and TBI.
These findings may help healthcare providers predict who is most
susceptible to HAI, according to lead author Pasquale Frisina, PhD,
which could help reduce mortality rates, control costs of care and
improve outcomes. "The study indicates that antisepsis may not be the
best or sole method to manage infection risk after stroke and brain
injury," said Dr. Frisina. "Future research should focus on ways to
optimize the LD-BIN to improve health. These may include brain
stimulation techniques such as direct electrical stimulation of the
prefrontal brain or behavioral techniques such as mental/cognitive
exercise." He added that this investigative approach might lead to
novel interventions aimed at increasing infection resistance, rather
than on reducing or eradicating pathogens.
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