What's staff infection and how do you get it?

Answer 1

Staph (pronounced "staff") is medical quick speak for staphylococcus aureus bacteria. This pesky little bacterium is very common (many people have some living on their skin all the time), but when it enters the human body, usually through an open cut or break in the skin, it can cause infection and trouble anywhere in the body. Staph infections tend to be pus-producing. Common minor (or relatively minor) skin infections caused by staph include:

Folliculitis
Infections of hair follicles that cause itchy white pus-filled bumps on the skin (often where people shave or have irritations from skin rubbing against clothes)

Boils
Infections deeper within hair follicles that leave large, frequently red inflammations (often occur on the face or neck)

Sties
Infection of the follicle surrounding the eyelashes, causing a sore red bump in the eyelid

Impetigo
The infection kids often get around their mouths and noses that causes blisters and red scabby skin

Abscesses
Infection characterized by pus and swelling that can occur in the skin and in any other organ.

Staph infection is also the leading culprit behind cases of food poisoning, and can be to blame for larger life threatening conditions, such as Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), pneumonia, bone infections (osteomyelitis), mastitis in nursing mothers, endocarditis (infection of the inside of the heart), and bacteremia (blood infection). People who are otherwise healthy typically do not usually become severely ill from staph infections, but those at special risk, who have weakened immune systems, include:

persons with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, lung disease, kidney disease, or HIV/AIDS
people with various skin conditions
the elderly
newborns
people recovering from major surgery
injection drug users (especially those who reuse needles)
people whose immune systems are weakened due to steroid use, radiation therapy, cancer treatment, immunosuppressive medications
women who are breastfeeding
Health care professionals can determine that staph (and not some other bacteria) is the cause of an infection by taking a culture (usually a swab from what looks like a giant Q-tip) from the infected site. Once staph has been diagnosed, the provider will prescribe antibiotics that are known to work on that specific strain of the bacteria. These antibiotics (usually either pills or creams applied to the infected body part) typically kill the bacteria and cure the infection within a week or two.

Hospitals are working to stamp out staph infections, in part because the majority of hospital patients fall into at least one "at-risk" category, but also because drug-resistant strains of staph (versions of the bacteria that aren't killed by one or more of the antibiotics that are commonly used to treat staph infections) are becoming an increasingly common threat. These drug-resistant strains of staph do not cause worse or different infections than non-resistant strains, but they can be much harder to treat because the most common (and easiest to use) antibiotics may not be effective. People with resistant staph infections may require hospitalization to receive antibiotics through an IV or by injection.

Because improper use of antibiotics can help produce resistance to drugs, making future infections much harder to treat, the American Medical Association recommends that patients:

follow the directions for any prescription exactly
take all of the medicine prescribed (even if one feels better after only a few days)
never save old, leftover prescriptions for future use
never take anyone else's prescription antibiotics
Other preventative measures are careful treatment of all skin conditions, including wound care after trauma or surgery, IV drug users taking precautions when injecting, and people with special risk factors being attentive to early symptoms of staph.

Answer 2

Staff is a certain type of superbug it occurs naturally on the skin and hospitals are rife with it.

Methacillian Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) it lives on the outside of the body and can enter through a wound once inside it rakes havoc on your body. It is commonly found in the nostrils and the anus and vagina and most people have it on their skin. it is treatable with very strong antibiotics.

Vancomiosin Resistant strains are lethal- Vancomiosin is the strongest antibiotic known to man and if that does not touch it then the only nursing action available is to barrier nurse the symptoms- which is done in isolation and the patient will die as a result of the infection.

Answer 3

Staphylococci are gram-positive, aerobic organisms. Staphylococcus aureus is the most pathogenic; it typically causes skin infections and sometimes pneumonia, endocarditis, and osteomyelitis. It commonly leads to abscess formation. Some strains elaborate toxins that cause gastroenteritis, scalded skin syndrome, and toxic shock syndrome. Diagnosis is by Gram stain and culture. Treatment is usually with penicillinase-resistant β-lactams, but because antibiotic resistance is common, vancomycin may be required. Some strains are resistant to all but the newest ribosome-targeted antibiotics (eg, linezolid, quinupristin plus dalfopristin) or daptomycin (a lipopeptide antibiotic).(Merck)
Please see the web pages for more details and images on Staphylococcus areus, Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus areus, Staph areus food poisoning, Carbunculosis, Meningitis-staphylococcal, Scalded skin syndrome and Toxic shock syndrome.

Answer 4

Staph infection is a Staphylococcus (or "staph") bacteria, it often starts with a little cut that gets infected with bacteria. These staph infections range from a simple boil to antibiotic-resistant infections to flesh-eating infections. The difference between all these is how deep and how fast the infection spreads, and how treatable it is with antibiotics. If you want to learn more about staph infections go to www.webmd.com and type in staph infections in the search box. Hope this helped!!

Answer 5

Staph. Short for staphylococcus. It's a type of bacteria, you can pick it up anywhere. Esp. gets into wounds I think. Hospitals and coral reefs are hotspots.

Answer 6

antibotics are what will take it away see a doctor, or if you already have make sure to take all the antibotics until they are gone.

Answer 7

What Is a Staph Infection?
Staph is the shortened name for Staphylococcus (pronounced: staf-uh-low-kah-kus), a type of bacteria. These bacteria can live harmlessly on many skin surfaces, especially around the nose, mouth, genitals, and anus. But when the skin is punctured or broken for any reason, staph bacteria can enter the wound and cause an infection.

There are more than 30 species in the staph family of bacteria, and they can cause different kinds of illnesses — for example, one kind of staph can cause urinary tract infections. But most staph infections are caused by the species Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).

S. aureus most commonly causes skin infections like folliculitis, boils, impetigo, and cellulitis that are limited to a small area of a person's skin. S. aureus can also release toxins (poisons) that may lead to illnesses like food poisoning or toxic shock syndrome.

How Do People Get Staph Infections?
In teens, most staph infections are minor skin infections. People with skin problems like burns or eczema may be more likely to get staph skin infections.

People can get staph infections from contaminated objects, but staph bacteria often spread through skin-to-skin contact — the bacteria can be spread from one area of the body to another if someone touches the infected area.

Staph infections can spread from person to person among those who live close together in group situations (such as in college dorms). Usually this happens when people with skin infections share things like bed linens, towels, or clothing. Warm, humid environments can contribute to staph infections, so excessive sweating can increase someone's chances of developing an infection.

Although it's very rare, infections caused by S. aureus can occasionally become serious. This happens when the bacteria move from a break in the skin into the bloodstream. This can lead to infections in other parts of the body, such as the lungs, bones, joints, heart, blood, and central nervous system.

Staph infections in other parts of the body are less common than staph skin infections. They are more likely in people whose immune systems have been weakened by another disease.

Occasionally patients undergoing surgery may get these more serious types of staph infections. The good news is that hospital staff take many precautions to avoid infection in someone having surgery. That's why they carefully clean the area being operated on, use sterile equipment, and sometimes give a person antibiotics.

What Are the Signs of a Staph Skin Infection?
Staph skin infections show up in lots of different ways. Some of the more common conditions often caused by S. aureus skin infections are:

Folliculitis (pronounced: fuh-lih-kyoo-lie-tus) is an infection of the hair follicles, the tiny pockets under the skin where hair shafts (strands) grow. In folliculitis, tiny white-headed pimples appear at the base of hair shafts, sometimes with a small red area around each pimple. This occurs often where people shave or have irritated skin from rubbing against clothing.
A furuncle (pronounced: fyoor-un-kul), commonly known as a boil, is a swollen, red, painful lump in the skin, usually due to an infected hair follicle. The lump usually fills with pus, growing larger and more painful until it ruptures and drains. Furuncles are most frequently found on the face, neck, buttocks, armpits, and inner thighs, where small hairs can often be irritated. A cluster of several furuncles is called a carbuncle (pronounced: kar-bun-kul). A person with a carbuncle usually feels ill and feverish.
Impetigo (pronounced: im-puh-tie-go) is a superficial skin infection that mostly happens in young children, but it can sometimes affect teens and adults. Most impetigo infections affect the face or extremities like the hands and feet. An impetigo skin infection begins as a tender, red bump that turns into a small blister or pimple, and then develops a honey-colored crust. Impetigo doesn't usually cause pain or fever, although the blisters may itch and can be spread to other parts of the body by scratching.
Cellulitis (pronounced: sell-yuh-lie-tus) is an infection involving areas of tissue below the skin surface. It begins as a small area of redness, pain, swelling, and warmth on the skin. As this area begins to spread, a person may feel feverish and ill. Cellulitis can affect any area of the body, but it's most common on the face or lower legs.
A hordeolum (pronounced: hore-dee-oh-lum), commonly known as a stye, is a staph infection in the eyelid. It develops when glands connected to the base of the eyelash become obstructed. A person with a stye will usually notice a red, warm, uncomfortable, and sometimes painful swelling near the edge of the eyelid.
Most of these staph infections are usually minor and can be treated at home by washing the skin with an antibacterial cleanser, applying an antibiotic ointment, and covering the skin with a clean dressing. (See below for specific treatment tips.)

If a minor infection gets worse — for example, you start feeling feverish or ill or the area spreads and gets very red or and hot — it's a good idea to see a doctor.


Wound infections generally show up 2 or more days after the injury or surgery. The signs of a wound infection (redness, pain, swelling, and warmth) are similar to those found in cellulitis. A wound infection may be accompanied by fever and a generally ill feeling. Pus or a cloudy fluid can drain from the wound and a yellow crust (like that in impetigo) can develop. If you think you have a wound infection after surgery, or you have a serious wound that seems to be infected, call your doctor.

Can I Prevent a Staph Skin Infection?
Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are everywhere. Many healthy people carry staph bacteria without getting sick.

Cleanliness and good hygiene are the best way to protect yourself against getting staph (and other) infections. You can help prevent staph skin infections by washing your hands frequently and by bathing or showering daily.

Keep areas of skin that have been injured — such as cuts, scrapes, eczema, and rashes caused by allergic reactions or poison ivy — clean and covered, and use any antibiotic ointments or other treatments that your doctor suggests. If someone in your family has a staph infection, don't share towels, sheets, or clothing until the infection has been fully treated.

If you develop a staph infection, you can prevent spreading it to other parts of your body by being careful not to touch the infected skin, keeping it covered whenever possible, and using a towel only once when you clean the area (wash the towel in hot water afterwards or use disposable towels).

What Can I Do to Feel Better?
How long it takes for a staph skin infection to heal depends on the type of infection and whether a person gets treatment for it. A boil, for example, may take 10 to 20 days to heal without treatment, but treatment will speed up this process. Most styes, on the other hand, go away on their own within several days.

To help relieve pain from a skin infection, try soaking the skin in warm water or applying warm, moist washcloths to the area. You can also apply a heating pad or a hot water bottle to the skin for about 20 minutes, three or four times a day. Pain relievers like acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin) can help reduce pain until the infection subsides.

Styes can be treated using warm compresses over the eye (with the eye closed) three or four times a day. Occasionally, a stye will require a topical antibiotic. See your doctor if a stye doesn't go away in a few days.

If you get a staph infection on skin areas that you normally shave, avoid shaving, if possible, until the infection clears up. If you do have to shave the area, use a clean disposable razor or clean your electric razor after each use.

Staph infections can be a nuisance, but the good news is that they are usually not serious.