MRSA Treatments

MRSA is an infection that is caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, known as staph.  It is a strain of the staph infection that is especially resistant to antibiotics that are typically used to destroy an infection.  MRSA can be serious and fatal in rare cases.  The majority of the cases of MRSA occur in hospitals or health care settings; yet this condition has also occurred in the community with otherwise healthy individuals.  The people who are most at risk for this condition are older people as well as people who have weak immune systems.  People who have developed the community associated MRSA have sometimes had the symptoms of serious skin and soft tissue infections as well as a form of pneumonia that is serious.

If you have any kind of minor skin problem, you should make sure you keep careful watch over it.  This would include insect bites, pimples, cuts, and scrapes.  This is especially important in children.  If the wound becomes infected, you should see your doctor.  There are several signs and symptoms of the wound becoming infected.  If you see pus, or a yellowish-white fluid that has a foul smell, it may be infected.  If you have a fever, or the wound appears to be red, warm, or tender, it may be infected and should be seen by a doctor.  Before you begin any type of antibiotic therapy, you should ask your physician to test your infection for MRSA first.  This is because some of the drugs that are used to treat the ordinary form of staph are not effective in treating MRSA.  This means that the treatment you are getting may not be effective. 

Doctors should diagnose MRSA by checking nasal secretions or tissue samples for signs of bacteria that is drug-resistant.  The sample will then be sent to a laboratory where it is put in a dish of nutrients which will encourage the growth of bacteria or culture.  This takes around 48 hours for the bacteria to begin growing, so doctors are working on developing tests with quicker results and some doctors may be able to get results back to you in just a few hours.  If you are in a hospital, you may have testing done if it is suspected that you have signs of an infection or if you have been transferred into a hospital from a different health care setting where MRSA has been present.  If you have had a prior history of MRSA, you may also be tested.

Certain medications have been used to treat both of the strains of MRSA.  In health care facilities and hospitals, often the antibiotic Vancomycin has been used in order to treat MRSA highly resistant bacteria.  It is likely that Vancomycin will continue to become less effective as time goes on.  Some hospitals are already noticing that some strains of MRSA are less easily killed by Vancomycin.  Antibiotics may not be needed in some cases.  Doctors may drain superficial abscesses that are caused by MRSA instead of using antibiotics if that is an option.  Your doctor will determine the best option for you.

Hospitals are also using surveillance systems to track MRSA infections.  The best way for hospitals to prevent the spread of MRSA is through washing hands frequently, disinfecting the surfaces of hospital equipment, keeping bedding clean, and wearing gowns and gloves when working with patients who have the MRSA bacteria.  People who have MRSA in the hospital should be isolated so that they do not spread MRSA.  Health care workers and visitors should wear protective garments and should follow hand-washing procedures in order to limit the spread of MRSA.  Here are some additional actions you can take to help keep yourself safe.

• Wash your hands.  This is so important because you need to defend yourself against germs.  When washing your hands, you should wash your hands for 15 to 30 seconds and then dry them with a disposable towel.  If you are using hand sanitizer, you should use a hand sanitizer that has at least 60 percent alcohol.

• Keep your wounds covered.  It is important that you not only keep your wound clean, but that you also keep it covered with dry and sterile bandages until it heals completely.  The pus that comes from the wound may contain MRSA, so keeping it covered will help keep it from spreading. 
  

• Shower after you are involved in athletic activities.  Following each game and practice, you should take a shower, using soap and water.
  

• Keep your personal items to yourself and do not share.  This is important because the MRSA bacteria can travel by way of personal items, such as sheets, razors, towels, athletic equipment, and towels. 
  

• If you have an infection, do not participate in athletic activities.  If your wound is draining or it appears that it may be infected, you should sit out of the activity.

• Always sanitize your linens.  You should wash your towels and bed linens in a washing machine that is set to hot water and also dry them in a hot dryer if you have a cut or a sore.  After participating in a athletic or gym activity, you should wash your clothing.

• Have your wound tested if you believe it may be infected.  It needs to be tested for MRSA, because if it is not tested, you may be prescribed an antibiotic that is resistant to MRSA, and in this case, it will not be effective against it.

• Take all antibiotics given to you.  If you have been prescribed antibiotics, it is important that you finish them completely, even if the wound and infection seemed to have healed already.

On this website, you will be able to find a wealth of information about fungal infections, which include athlete's foot, ringworm, and tinea versicolor.  You will also learn about skin infections, such as impetigo, cellulitis, and molluscum contagiosum.  You will be able to learn about the symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention of staph infections.  Finally, you will be able to see for yourself what all of these conditions look like through a variety of pictures. 

 

 

 

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