Mike D note – guest post today from @1crazyPatsfan, clarifying just what’s going on with Gronk’s infection.
Now, I am NOT a doctor and I will not claim to know how his physicians are handling his case so any information stated in this rant of mine is for general information only. I am however a microbiologist at a major hospital and have a lot of experience with bacteria and infections. So we all know that Gronk broke his arm on an extra point and required surgery to stabilize the bone. He then healed and broke it again and required another surgery. Then there was the news that Gronk was battling an infection and could need ANOTHER surgery. Man, he just can’t catch a break right? So what happened? How did he get this infection? Well, there are many ways he could have gotten it such as improperly cleaned surgical equipment or unsanitary operating conditions but the most likely culprit is bacteria that lives on the skin and snuck in when they opened up his arm again. Now, outside the body this bacteria is relatively harmless and even beneficial. Once introduced into the body, the bacteria, more specifically a species of Staphylococcus or “Staph” for short, can wreak havoc. These bacteria have special mechanism of resistance to antibiotics called “biofilms”. Biofilms are super sticky and love to hang out on prosthetics (like the plate holding his arm together). Since the bacteria are so sticky, it is very hard for antibiotics to do their job, and it takes a while to clear the infection. Once cleared though, the problem of the plate remains. That is why Gronk will need another surgery to remove the plate. If the tainted plate is still in his arm, it is very likely that there are bacteria still sticking to it, so it needs to come out. After the old plate is removed and before a new one is inserted, the doctor will send the laboratory pieces of the flesh and bone around the break to be cultured to see if the bacteria are still present. If all goes well, we will have a healthy Gronk ready in about 4 months or so.
Questions? Comments? I am @1crazyPATSfan on twitter
