can anyone tell me what is MRSA?

Answer 1

What is MRSA?
The organism Staphylococcus aureus is found on many individuals skin and seems to cause no major problems. However if it gets inside the body, for instance under the skin or into the lungs, it can cause important infections such as boils or pneumonia. Individuals who carry this organism are usually totally healthy, have no problems whatever and are considered simply to be carriers of the organism.

The term MRSA or methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus is used to describe those examples of this organism that are resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Methicillin was an antibiotic used many years ago to treat patients with Staphylococcus aureus infections. It is now no longer used except as a means of identifying this particular type of antibiotic resistance.

Individuals can become carriers of MRSA in the same way that they can become a carrier of ordinary Staphylococcus aureus which is by physical contact with the organism. If the organism is on the skin then it can be passed around by physical contact. If the organism is in the nose or is associated with the lungs rather than the skin then it may be passed around by droplet spread from the mouth and nose. We can find out if and where Staphylococcus aureus is located on a patient by taking various samples, sending them to the laboratory and growing the organism. Tests done on any Staphylococcus aureus grown from such specimens can then decide how sensitive the organisms is to antibiotics and if it is a methicillin resistant (MRSA) organism. These test usually take 2-3 days.





Why bother with MRSA?
MRSA organisms are often associated with patients in hospitals but can also be found on patients not in a hospital. Usually it is not necessary to do anything about MRSA organisms. However if MRSA organisms are passed on to someone who is already ill, then a more serious infection may occur in that individual. When patients with MRSA are discovered in a hospital, the hospital will usually try to prevent it from passing around to other patients. This is known as infection control.





How do we prevent the spread of MRSA?
Measures to prevent the spread of organisms from one person to another are called isolation or infection control. The type of infection control or isolation required for any patient depends on the organism, where the organisms is found on an individual and the patient.

The most important type of isolation required for MRSA is what is called Contact Isolation. This type of isolation requires everyone in contact with the patient to be very careful about hand washing after touching either the patient or anything in contact with the patient. If the organism is in the nose or lungs it may also be necessary to have the patient in a room to prevent spread to others by droplet spread. Because dust and surfaces can become contaminated with the organism, cleaning of surfaces are also important. This usually occurs after the patient leaves the hospital.

If a number of patients are infected with the same organism it is possible to nurse them in the same area. On occasions for the sake of other patients it may be necessary to move carriers of MRSA to an isolation unit such as ours which specializes in isolating all types of infections to protect other persons. The medical care of such patients will continue in an isolation unit which are well used to caring for all types of medical and surgical problems associated with infections.

Answer 2

What is MRSA?

The organism Staphylococcus aureus is found on many individuals skin and seems to cause no major problems. However if it gets inside the body, for instance under the skin or into the lungs, it can cause important infections such as boils or pneumonia. Individuals who carry this organism are usually totally healthy, have no problems whatever and are considered simply to be carriers of the organism.

The term MRSA or methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus is used to describe those examples of this organism that are resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Methicillin was an antibiotic used many years ago to treat patients with Staphylococcus aureus infections. It is now no longer used except as a means of identifying this particular type of antibiotic resistance.

Individuals can become carriers of MRSA in the same way that they can become a carrier of ordinary Staphylococcus aureus which is by physical contact with the organism. If the organism is on the skin then it can be passed around by physical contact. If the organism is in the nose or is associated with the lungs rather than the skin then it may be passed around by droplet spread from the mouth and nose. We can find out if and where Staphylococcus aureus is located on a patient by taking various samples, sending them to the laboratory and growing the organism. Tests done on any Staphylococcus aureus grown from such specimens can then decide how sensitive the organisms is to antibiotics and if it is a methicillin resistant (MRSA) organism. These test usually take 2-3 days.

Answer 3

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a specific strain of the Staphylococcus ... lactamase-resistant penicillin antibiotics. This is an infection that you can not heal with anibiotics, the strain of bacteria will always return with any infection that ur body obtains. I happen to have a friend with MRSA, they caught it from someone that was a patient in a hospital they previously worked in. Now she gets an infection, such as a simple cut, or ingrown hair and the area becomes extremely enlarged. I have seen the area around her eye swell up so badly that she can not open her eye.

Answer 4

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillins are the antibiotics commonly used against Staph, a common cause of infections.

I know this because I developed a systemic MRSA infection after surgery. Lost all memory of 4 days, but it could have been worse.

The best thing we can do to prevent more bugs becoming resistant to more meds is to stop demanding antibiotics every time we don't feel well, and to use them as prescribed when we do need them.

Took me three years to get the boils subsequently caused by that MRSA treated properly

Answer 5

methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus- a gram positive bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics, including methicillin. Methicillin resistance is indicative to a pretty well-developed resistance to antibiotics. MRSA infections are much more commonly acquired from hospital stays rather than from the general public. Hospitals record the number of cases of MRSA that they have each year. Having an MRSA infection, most commonly found in wounds/surgical sites, means that you will need stronger antibiotics such as an aminoglycoside- gentamycin, tobramycin, etc.

Answer 6

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is a type of bacterium commonly found on the skin and/or in the noses of healthy people. Although it is usually harmless at these sites, it may occasionally get into the body (eg through breaks in the skin such as abrasions, cuts, wounds, surgical incisions or indwelling catheters) and cause infections. These infections may be mild (eg pimples or boils) or serious (eg infection of the bloodstream, bones or joints).

The treatment of infections due to Staphylococcus aureus was revolutionised in the 1940s by the introduction of the antibiotic penicillin.

Unfortunately, most strains of Staphylococcus aureus are now resistant to penicillin. This is because Staphylococcus aureus has 'learnt' to make a substance called ß-lactamase (pronounced beta-lactamase), that degrades penicillin, destroying its antibacterial activity.

Some related antibiotics, such as methicillin and flucloxacillin, are not affected by ß-lactamase and can still be used to treat many infections due to ß-lactamase-producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Unfortunately, however, certain strains of Staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA, have now also become resistant to treatment with methicillin and flucloxacillin.

Although other types of antibiotics can still be used to treat infections caused by MRSA, these alternative drugs are usually not available in tablet form and must be administered through a drip inserted into a vein.

Answer 7

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a specific strain of the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium that has developed antibiotic resistance to all penicillins, including methicillin and other narrow-spectrum β-lactamase-resistant penicillin antibiotics.[1] MRSA was first discovered in the UK in 1961 and is now widespread, particularly in the hospital setting where it is commonly termed a superbug.

MRSA may also be known as oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA) and multiple-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, while non-methicillin resistant strains of S. aureus are sometimes called methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) if an explicit distinction must be made.

Answer 8

Methylicillian Resistive Staphylococcus Aueres. A staph infection that is usually acquired in a hospital or nursing home. Usually very rare to acquire with out being in a health care facility. Hand washing is the easiest form of preventing the spread after coming in contact with someone with MRSA.

Answer 9

i am afraid to say that your doctor may have misdiagnosed you, MRSA (methadone resistant staphylococcus aureus) is a mutated version of the common food poisoning bug staphylococcus aureus, it does not affect the sinuses, but the stomach and bowels like any other food poisoning bug. the thing that separates MRSA and gives it it's "super bug" status is the fact that it is resistant to methadone and several other antibiotics (hence the name) and therefore, depending on the level of infection, either your own immune system will fight it off or not. if you had it then you will be highly infectious, it is transmitted by contact with saliva, excrement and vomit, (going to the toilet and not washing your hands could make many people sick) and as such your doctor should hospitalise you immediately, not give you nose drops and send you home EDIT: for those who gave me a thumbs down, i must point out that i have extensive knowledge of food poisoning bacteria as it is part of my career and am qualified at degree level in the subject as i am an environmental health officer in the UK

Answer 10

MRSA is an advanced resistant strain of STAFF INFECTION, it is very common and more predominate in the United States Prison systems, then anywhere else in the USA. The infection is resistant to most antibiotics and presents as circular crated lesions on the skin, when the craters fester and begin to drain the infection is more contagious then at any other point in the duration of the infection.

Answer 11

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a specific strain of the Staphylococcus