Men Face Higher Risk of Infections Related to Health Care

Submitted by Minuteman on Thu, 2013-06-06 03:54

Link here. Excerpt:

'Women are less likely to develop infections related to receiving health care than men, according to a large new study.

After examining thousands of cases involving hospitalized patients, researchers found that women were at much lower risk for bloodstream infection and surgical-site infection than men. The study authors suggested that their findings could help health care providers reduce men's risk of these infections.
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The study, recently published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, revealed that the odds of developing a community-associated bloodstream infection were 30 percent higher among men. Meanwhile, the researchers found a 60 percent higher risk among men for health care-associated bloodstream infections as well as for surgical-site infections.

Biological differences between men and women's skin may play a role in men's increased risk for infection.'

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Comments

Men tend literally to have thicker skin than women. Possibly this is a factor: more skin, more playground area for germs to play on.

Just a conjecture. My MD's license got pulled before I even got it. Before I took the MCAT. I've never even taken the MCAT. But, I known a couple of ppl who did. Does that count for anything? :)

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Submitted by Matt on Thu, 2013-06-06 17:08

The anatomical differences in men and women are everywhere. Men have thicker skin, not just their outer skin, but skin that covers internal organs as well. Men also have denser bones, thicker tendons and ligaments and more prominent connecting points. In almost every area men are built sturdier compared to women.

Those that say the anatomical differences are not that significant obviously have no background on the matter.

That's why I say in a situation where you might be teamed up with a woman and your survival relies on the physical abilities of your teammates, the woman will likely be your weakest link. She is more likely to twist an ankle or fall over or sustain injury if she is hit by a blunt force, even if she can do the same amount of pushups and lift the same amount of weight as her male teammates.

This article points out that men's thicker skin may work against them by being more susceptible to surgical infection. Like everything there are pros-and cons, and this might be a con of having thick skin, but keep things in perspective and remember that surgical infections are a specific type of skin infection (referred to as a nosocomial infections caused by specific bacteria found in hospitals.), it does not mean than men are more susceptible to all types of skin infections.

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Submitted by Kris on Thu, 2013-06-06 22:33