VA hospital closed to certain patients - CO

[Guest guest]

VA hospital closed to certain patients

9NEWS.com - Denver,CO

written by: Cheryl Preheim , 9NEWS Reporter

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=65931

DENVER – Colorado veterans who have weak immune systems cannot be

treated at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center because there is

bacterium in the building.

Now, the family of one of the veterans who was affected by the

problem wants the government to make sure veterans get the care they

deserve.

Steve Montague's father, Don, was one of the veterans who went to

the VA Hospital for care last year.

His family was surprised to find out he couldn't be admitted to the

hospital to be treated for his Leukemia.

" Patients who have compromised immune systems cannot stay at the VA

hospital they have to be shipped to another city or they have to be

referred to another practice, " said Montague.

The hospital spokesperson, White, says there is a mold

spore in the building called aspergillus.

" We don't state that aspergillus is a direct relationship with

cleanliness, it is found in the environment, it is a fungus and it's

a challenge because it is in the environment, " said White.

The hospital has been taking steps to deal with the fungus since it

was discovered in 2001, when some patients became ill from the mold

spore. It says the aspergillus is likely coming from a dirt sub-

basement floor.

" We are working diligently on it but it's a problem that we knew

wasn't going to be a next-day fix, " said White.

She says it does not pose any health threat to patients who don't

have immune deficiencies or to the staff.

" It's just a sign of how bad the system is broken, " said Montague.

His father was referred to a private hospital in Denver, but

Montague says the differences between the VA hospital and the

private facility was vast.

" In general there is absolutely no comparison, " he said. " I think we

should be able to support the troops, support the people that serve

our country with at least as good of care as you get in private

practice. "

Montague says he understands the Veterans Affairs hospitals are

understaffed and have had their budgets cut by the federal

government.

" It is immoral that we send men and women into combat and then we

don't take care of them properly when they come home, " he said.

The VA hospital won't talk about its budget specifically, but only

says the federal government determines it.

" Whatever funding we are provided we will utilize it to our fullest

to provide excellent quality health care, " said White.

The hospital was built in 1950.

" We are in a 57-year-old building so we certainly have day to day

challenges, " said White. " We strive to provide the best of the best

to our veterans. "

[Guest guest]

Won't heavy aspergillus exposure itself damage your immune system?

Aspergillus is a pretty broad category with many species but I know that

many of them contain mycotoxins. Especially when they grow in very high

humidity.

And a significant number of those toxins in aspergillus spp. are

immunotoxic.

What I'm getting at is that molds are living things that have evolved over

the milennia to compete with other living things by destroying their

defenses. It often modifies its growing environment.

Really all sick people have damaged immune systems in that anything that

demands attention from their immune systems takes a little bit of their

body's energy away from getting well.

I read an interesting paper for the second time yesterday that Carl and I

have both mentioned here that applies very strongly here.. Its REALLY worth

reading..

(By the way the DOI link is a pointer to a resource that may move on the

Internet, but the doi pointer at http://dx.doi.org/

will be updated with new locations - right now the location is

http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8297/8297.html

)

Causality and the Interpretation of Epidemiological Evidence

Kundi

doi:10.1289/ehp.8297

(available at http://dx.doi.org/)

Online 27 March 2006

[Guest guest]

I know it's been mentioned several times on the NIH website, EPA,

maybe even the CDC, that mold alone will compromise your immune

system. It is a immunosuppressant. I was told by a close friend that

had gone through 3 organ transplants that this is what they give him

(a fungi) to suppress him immune system so that it will not reject

the new organ(s). Interesting.........

KC

--- In , LiveSimply <quackadillian@...>

wrote:

>

> Won't heavy aspergillus exposure itself damage your immune system?

>

> Aspergillus is a pretty broad category with many species but I

know that

> many of them contain mycotoxins. Especially when they grow in very

high

> humidity.

>

> And a significant number of those toxins in aspergillus spp. are

> immunotoxic.

>

> What I'm getting at is that molds are living things that have

evolved over

> the milennia to compete with other living things by destroying

their

> defenses. It often modifies its growing environment.

>

> Really all sick people have damaged immune systems in that

anything that

> demands attention from their immune systems takes a little bit of

their

> body's energy away from getting well.

>

> I read an interesting paper for the second time yesterday that

Carl and I

> have both mentioned here that applies very strongly here.. Its

REALLY worth

> reading..

>

> (By the way the DOI link is a pointer to a resource that may move

on the

> Internet, but the doi pointer at http://dx.doi.org/

> will be updated with new locations - right now the location is

> http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8297/8297.html

> )

>

> Causality and the Interpretation of Epidemiological Evidence

>

> Kundi

>

> doi:10.1289/ehp.8297

> (available at http://dx.doi.org/)

> Online 27 March 2006

>

>

>