Brazilian Model Dies of Pseudomonas Infection
Twenty-year-old Brazilian model Mariana Bridi da Costa has died at a hospital early Saturday morning following a long fight with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. She once told friends she was “living the dream” but a series of medical complications has turned that dream into a tragedy. In just the past month, a urinary tract infection turned dangerous when septicemia developed. The system-wide blood infection has led to multiple amputations in an effort to save her life.
Bridi first sought medical attention in late December for what was diagnosed as kidney stones. A urinary tract infection (UTI) soon developed and it quickly escalated to septicemia.
The blood infection diminished the flow of oxygen to her extremities and last week both her hands and both her feet were amputated in an effort to save her life. Earlier in the ordeal, both kidneys failed and were removed and this past Thursday night surgeons removed a portion of her stomach.
In the recent days Bridi was placed on life support, required dialysis, and was able to communicate only with her eyes. Nevertheless, she had signaled to her family that she wanted to live.
Urinary tract infections are quite common and most people recover from them with little effort. Dr. Charles Clarke, neurology consultant for the United Kingdom’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, says even developing septicemia from a UTI is “not a very rare thing” but it is “very rare” when the infection is so severe amputation is required.
Brini’s struggle gained worldwide attention, with fans sending their prayers via email from places as far-flung as Australia, Italy, France, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Russia, and the US.
Bridi got her modeling career started after contacting Henrique Fontes, executive director of the Miss World Brazil beauty pageant, who told her she’d need to travel to Curitiba to compete. Travel she did, via a 20-hour bus ride. In both 2006 and 2007, she placed fourth in the competition.
Last year in China, Bridi placed sixth in the Miss Bikini International competition and won first place in the ‘Best in Swimsuit’ category. She was looking forward to competing in April in a prestigious Brazilian model competition presented by the same agency that discovered Brazilian supermodel Giselle Bunchen. Bridi even reserved a special place in her personal diary to record her thoughts during this up-coming competition.
Fontes, Bridi’s family, her boyfriend, and others close to her have all expressed surprise that she has survived so long against such staggering odds. They ask Bridi’s fans everywhere to pray for her.
My husband nearly died after being on an O2 Concentrator Oxygen machine with canulas taken only while sleeping for sleep apnea.
The Western Home Care of Las Vegas, NV never checked the machine in
the four week check up time and fungus and mold built up for five
and one half months. After check the filter with a lab, pseudomonas
fungus, rusts were found. The doctor that treated him diagnosed him
with urosepsis. All tests were negative, but he was in bad shape.
Dr. gave him IV to hydrate and levaquin and check him nearly every
day. He was gray, lost 22 pounds in 19 days, lathargic, slept 22 hours at a time, could move, whole body was in severe pain. He was
wasting away. He had to be lifted and wheelchaired to the doctor.
So, watch these Oxygen Companies, ask questions, find out when the
units will be checked, find out where the filters are on the machine so you can inspect them yourself. They do not disclose where this larger filter is. They took it out and said it was going to their
next patient. So when people die, even though they were on oxygen,
doesn’t necessarily mean they died due to their illness.
It could have been the bacterial infection built up in the filters.
I hope this helps anyone questioning a Home Health Care Company
that supplies Oxygen.
from not being clean.
Slightly poor taste to have a woman with no feet in the advert next to an article about a model losing her hands and feet!
Referring back to my comments on July 9, 2009 concerning the
oxygen filters:
Pls google John Perrini Danger in the Air Darcy Spears
See the video the local investgative reporter did on this issue.
PS My husband got sicker, went to ER all blood tests were NEGATIVE
because the first doctor we went to gave him Levaquin before
taking blood. The levaquin masked any bacterial infection.
He was hospitalized and after a test called a TEE was performed by a cardiologist,it was found that there were THREE masses of
bacterial vegetation on the heart valve.
He went home with six weeks of Vancomycian and Daptomycian, IV
and a nurse came every day twice a day for the six weeks.
Just at the six week mark, he had slight chest pains.
Back to the ER, he was admitted. Lab work was all negative.
He had a second TEE and the vegetation was still there but
now the doctors cannot say what it is, when we know that it
was the PSEUDOMONAS found the the filter of the oxygen concentrator.
We know the lab here in Las Vegas tested the concentrator, the inner
cabinet and the cannulas John slept with for 5 1/2 months every
night breathing in this deadly pseudomonas bacteria.
The antibiotics had masked the bacteria and the cultures, blood
work and the tests on the actual vegetation mass were NEGATIVE.
Obviously, he had surgery, however, the day before he was to be
discharged, a nurse had left him alone (this is in ICU) and John
had suffered oxygen deprivation. This lead to five days of
life support. His recovery has been slow, I cannot believe
what he has gone through. Over that five days, he lost 44 lbs.
He was heart wrenching to see him.
DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW I CAN PROVE IT WAS THE PSEUDOMONAS IN HIS
BODY IF NOTHING IS SHOWING IN THE BLOOD WORK.
IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP US??
I have discovered that the manufacturer, Invacare builds these
machines and the concentrator that my husband was given was a
four or five year old oxygen concentrator with over 5,000 hours
already on it. Also that the sieve busted open causing this
dangerous situation.
Thanks for reading this. Rita Perrini
it was discovered that
My grandma was currently diagnosed with the same pseudomonas growing in her lungs after using an oxygen concentrator. Called the company and they refuse to acknowledge bacteria build up in the machine as an issue. Does anyone else have the same issue?
Bobby,
How is your grandmother?
Let me know if you get a chance.
Regards,
Rita
Bobby,
Just want you to know that the State of Nevada Investigator
found that the concentrator that was given to my husband, John, was used by eight patients over a three year period
without having the filter replaced or changed out.
It was also found that the machine was “dropped off to the
Western Home Care warehouse in 2008 by a tourist from Florida. It was then assigned to my husband.
After weeks of illness, it was found that a bacteria vegetated to John’s heart valve. He had his valve replaced.
He has had bacterial pneomonia twice. He is now carrying
eleven antibodies in his system.
ASPERGILLUS
BLASTOMYCES
CORYNEBACTERIUM AFERMENTANS (3 MASSES FOUND ON VALVE)
CHALAMYDIA
COCCIDIOIDES
COXIELLA BURNETII (causes Q fever which is phylogenetically
related to pseudomonas>)
HISTOPLASMA
MACOBACTERIUM AVIUM COMPLEX (MAC)
PANCYTOPENIA
PSITTACOSIS
If you look any of these up, they are deadly, and will cause
significant and fatal diseases to humans.
If any one knows of an INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT, please
let me know.
After mid January, 2012, the State Investigator
the case to the Board of Counsel for the State of Nevada.
I will keep you posted.
If anyone has any questions, please email me.
Rita Perrini
ritaperrini@gmail.com
Las Vegas, NV
Bobby,
After speaking with UNLV microbiologist, I have learned that the
deadly bacteria, pseudomonas can go undetected in the body. It is a plastictype incapsulated,biofilm. It picks up colonies and then sticks to a particular area and vegetates. In my husband’s case, it wason the valve. I have also learned that this type of bacteria mayrecur. Also, if the patient has been given any antibiotics
prior to lab work, results could be hampered by the medication
“masking” any bacteria.My husband is still weak, very tired, sleeping 12 to 14hrs per night and a nap during the day. So we saw his ID doctor.I insisted that she do a sputum test. The test came back for Q Fever which is known as “coxiella burnetii.” an obligate intracellular bacterium which is closely related to pseudomonas.
So, if anyone tells you(after you have checked the Hepa Filter
on the oxygen concentrator and found it black) there is nothing
you can do, have the the filter tested at a lab. Keep the filter
and keep the concentator as evidence. Also, the lab work in which
indicated that pseudomonas came up positive. You need to make the
connection of cause. Keep alot of records on your own. Ask for
all lab results.
Hope the best for your grand mother
Rita
We just learned a few days ago that my husband acquired pseudomonas aeruginosa during surgery at St. Rose Hospital in Henderson. Has anyone else recently acquired this infection at St. Rose?
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RE: Danger in the Air Darcy Spears report,
The CDC is now investigating and will be
doing a study on how the home health care
companies are ripping us off with filthy
filters causing death of elderly patients
from the bacteria which grows in the filter
that he not replaced by the home health care
company. That is what Western Home Care
in Las Vegas did to us.
If you have a relative or anyone you know
on an oxygen concentrator, check the HEPA filter
you may save their life. Also, please email me
so we can included it in the CDC study.
Be pro active and raise awareness.
If I can be of any help, please email me
ritaperrini@gmail.com