Calhoun County resident Dave Bennett has undergone five surgeries over the past two years, with one involving the treatment of a bacterial infection which ate away at his muscles and nearly cost him his life.

What began as a trip to the hospital for surgery on a bleeding ulcer turned into a fight for survival against the bacteria which infected his surgical wound.

'Just not that way anymore'

The 39-year-old had been passing out before arriving at The Regional Medical Center, where it was confirmed that he was bleeding internally and needed an operation. He seemed to be doing fine the first two days after his initial surgery until an odor, which one nurse compared to rotten fish, began to permeate his room.

Bennett constantly ran a fever, and his surgical incision was opened to make sure that none of his intestines were caught in it and possibly causing the offensive smell.

Bennett's wife, Peggy, knew something was wrong.

"We asked about him being on antibiotics. He was never actually put on them until after they had to do a second surgery. The doctor that did the surgery was going to release him the very next day. The infection specialist then came in and said that he had to have emergency surgery," Mrs. Bennett said.

Why?

"The muscles were all rotted, or necrotic. The bacteria was coming from the inside of his stomach out. It was eating its way out of him. I really don't know how to explain it. The odor would just get stronger and stronger. He had friends to come visit. They couldn't even stay because it was so bad. We couldn't understand why they were not giving him antibiotics after major surgery," Mrs. Bennett said.

"I could have died. Luckily, I didn't. If it had went another day or two, I don't think there would have been anything left to save," Dave Bennett said

Bennett said he was in pain before a second surgery had to be performed to remove the dead tissue from his wound. A Gortex mesh was put over the wound, but was not providing adequate ventilation. A third surgery was then performed to cover the wound with a net-type mesh.

That wasn't the end of Bennett's troubles, which began with a wound which had to be cleaned twice a day. The wound had become so infected that his daughter, Nikki, said it was green and yellow.

Bennett developed a massive, bulging hernia following his third surgery.

"It just kept getting bigger and bigger, and Dave said it hurt all the time. We ended up taking him to a surgeon in Columbia. I had to call in to pre-register him for surgery, and the Columbia doctor had something on the side of the paper in capital letters that read MRSA," Mrs. Bennett said. "That's when I found out that that's what Dave had. We never found that it was the flesh-eating bacteria until we went to another surgeon in Columbia."

What is MRSA?

Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, or MRSA, is a staph bacteria which occurs most frequently among persons in hospitals and health care facilities who have weakened immune systems. It may also occur when someone has sores or other skin breaks that allow the bacteria to get into the tissue.

In Bennett, the bacteria caused an infection known as necrotizing fascitis, which occurs when bacteria gets into parts of the body where it's usually not found, such as in the blood, muscles and lungs.

Bennett, a chemical operator at Voridian in upper Calhoun County, said his ordeal since his initial surgery has caused him pain and suffering. He was been in and out of work for a little more than a year. He was out six months the first time until his short-term disability benefits ran out. He said he became dependent on pain pills, fell into depression and continues to have his share of stomach discomfort, including pain and bloating.

"That ain't all. I just got out of a major surgery again for scar tissue. It strangled my intestines, so I had a blockage. The doctor said he had to cut out all that scar tissue, and then he had to cut part of my intestines which were strangled. So I'm back out of work again," Bennett said.

"The MRSA could come back at any time. That's why any time he has surgery now, they have to give him a really strong antibiotic. This last time, he was on antibiotics for 15 days," Mrs. Bennett said. She said both her husband and children, including son Justin, have been adversely affected.

"It's been difficult emotionally. I can't do what I used to do. I can't lift nothing heavy. I don't have the strength and stamina from all the surgeries. I guess that's what it is, I don't know. I just feel weak. I used to be a real outgoing person, but I'm just not that way anymore," Dave Bennett said.

'It's not a common problem'

Necrotizing fascitis, occasionally described by the media as "the flesh-eating" bacteria, is a severe illness marked by the destruction of muscle, fat and skin tissue. It is generally caused by Group A Streptococcus, a bacterium that is more often found in the throat and on the skin.

Dr. John Samies, chairman of infection control at The Regional Medical Center, said infections vary in severity, with throat infections being among the milder and more common symptoms of infection.

"Most of the time when we see the flesh-eating type bacteria, we see it following some sort of local trauma or recent surgery. That would be the main reason. It actually occurs infrequently after surgery," Samies said.

He said necrotizing fascitis is more commonly seen among patients with bedsores.

What is done when it's found in surgical wounds?

Samies said the patient's affected tissues would be opened before the dead tissue is removed. A patient would then receive IV antibiotics and other liquids to support their fluid intake.

Necrotizing fascitis can be deadly if left unchecked, leading to what Samies called "multisystem organ failure." He said individuals with the infection would usually die from sepsis, or the presence of pathogenic organisms or their toxins in the blood or tissues.

"All the blood vessels become dilated, where they don't have enough effective fluids in the bloodstream to pass around. Patients become metabolically unstable. The blood becomes too acid ... and other organs, particularly the heart, stop functioning properly," Samies said.

"I think people need to be aware that such an infection exists. But it's not a common problem. They don't need to be panicking," he added.

"Every hospital has to have some sort of infection control to be accredited," Samies said. While not many hospitals in the state have infection control specialists, Samies said other doctors can be trained in infection control and nurses can also get special certification in infection control.

Thom Berry, spokesman for the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, said, "Our role is to provide consultation to the physicians should they request it. But each hospital should have its own infection control procedures and staff who specialize in or have resources in infection control."

Drew Gerald, an epidemiologist with the Edisto Savannah Public Health District, said exercising general hygiene practices is the best way to ward off bacterial infection.

"Hand-washing is actually still the most important thing you can do," said Gerald, noting that incidents of flesh-eating bacteria are not common among people seen in the health district service area.

Samies said hand-washing should be coupled with "good local care of wounds and paying attention to them before they become deep."

DHEC advises that all wounds should be watched for possible infection signs, including redness, swelling, drainage and pain at the wound site. Medical care should be sought upon any sign of infection.

To help ward off MRSA or other staph infections, the Centers for Disease Control recommends people cover any open skin area such as abrasions or cuts with a clean, dry bandage; avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors and use a barrier between the skin and shared equipment.

Bennett said he is grateful that his own bacterial infection did not get any worse.

"If it had went any further, I probably wouldn't have made it. I did a lot of praying. I still do a lot of that," he said.

T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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