Blood infection

[sunflower68]

My gran has been told she has a blood infection. She has been hospitalised for the last week for a poorly leg and a chest infection, but wondered how she could have caught this. Is it dangerous? Could she have been harbouring it for some time before her hospitalisation?

[Ethel]

I caught a blood infection as a child from a really tiny scratch from a dog's claw. I can't remember it being deep enough to bleed - probably if it had it would have washed any dirt/germs out.

Your gran really should ask her doctor.

[WendyS]

Infections can be picked up from all sorts of places, being in shops and breathing others peoples' germs, a scratch that doesn't get washed quickly enough, grubby worktops, face flannels which arn't boiled regularly etc. etc. Just tell you gran to keep an eye out in hospital and make sure the nurses and doctors all wash their hands before doing ANYTHING to her, to avoid MRSA infection and if you visit, make sure you wash your hand too before entering her ward. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to these kinds of infections so everybody needs to take special care around them.