Link: Telegraph
A Royal Marine recruit who died from an infected scratch during basic training would have survived had the wound been treated early enough with a simple antiseptic cream, it emerged yesterday. Richard Campbell-Smith, 18, was killed when a bacterial infection in his leg mutated into the "super-toxin" Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) just hours after he grazed his leg.
There is no known cure once PVL, which is immune to antibiotics, has established itself but doctors said yesterday that the immediate application of antiseptic cream or TCP would have prevented it entering the body and saved his life.
Dr Tim Wyatt, from the Association of Clinical Microbiologists, said: "If he had cleaned it up properly early on and put a bit of antiseptic cream on it he would have been OK.
"But of course as he was a Royal Marine – he’s not going to worry about a wee scratch. For a young, healthy Marine to die from a preventable infection is very scary."
