What is MRSA?

Question

What is MRSA? My school is warning us about MRSA what should I do? What are the symptoms?
Is there a website that I can see pictures, read, and get more informed about MRSA? Is there a treatment?

Answer 1

MRSA stands for Multi Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. Originally it used to mean Methicillin resistant ... but as this type of Staph became resistant to more and more things, it got changed.

Essentially, MRSA is a Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that knows how to defeat many different antibiotics.

It causes all the same infections that the normal Staph causes - mainly skin and wound infections ... infected ulcers etc. - but also including: toxic shock syndrome, staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, lung (pneumonia), bone (osteomyelitis), urinary infections, joint infections (septic arthritis) and heart infections (endocarditis).

There are antibiotics we use to treat MRSA, but the issue is that it is just a matter of time before it becomes resistant to those antibiotics also.

Answer 2

With all the recent hype over MRSA due to the media blowing it way out of proportion, I feel that the way to get things under control is to educate one's self about it. Whereas MRSA is resistant to some antibiotics, there are still antibiotics that can fight it. There are a lot of infections that become resistant after a time. This really is nothing new. As a matter of fact, the hospital that I work at has a grant to study how many people come in with MRSA and how many of them get it at the hospital. The number one way to avoid infections is with hand washing...and education.

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of staph infection that is resistant to methicillin and other commonly used antibiotics in the same class, including penicillin, amoxicillin, and oxacillin.

Recently, there was a teenager who was said to have died from MRSA. This is a terrible tragedy especially since it can be treated. I hope to give info regarding this and put to rest the fears that I believe are being fueled by the media.

1. What is MRSA?

Staphylococcus aureus is a species 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 through breaks in the skin such as abrasions, cuts, wounds, surgery sites and cause infections. These infections may be mild like pimples or boils or serious when it gets into the blood stream.

It is the staph infection that a lot of antibiotics are useless to treat. However, there are antibiotics that can treat it. For instance, the drug of choice to treat MRSA is Vancomyicin.

2. How does one "catch" MRSA?

MRSA is a contact infection. You must touch it to catch it.

3. How do you keep from getting MRSA?

Handwashing is the number one way to keep from getting an infection. Whether that infection be the common cold or MRSA. A kindergarten teacher says that a person should wash their hands as long as it takes to sing the ABC song.

If you get a cut or a scratch, wash the site with antibacterial soap, keep it clean, and cover it with a band aid.

Avoid touching other people's personal items. For instance, in Gym class don't use someone elses towel or razor.

4. Diagnosis of MRSA

The only way that MRSA can be diagnoised is if your doctor orders a culture to be taken from the area that is suspected of the infection. This is a simple painless test. They take a cotton swab and run it over the area and send it to lab.

Only then, can MRSA be diagnoised for sure.

5. Treatment for MRSA

Depending on the location of the MRSA infection, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics. The doctor may have to drain the wound or open it to let it drain naturally. Whatever and which ever, your doctor needs to be involved.

Like any infection, if your doctor prescribes antibiotics, it is important that you take all the doses that are prescribed.

The lab will run something called a sensitivity test. This will say what antibiotics can be used to treat the infection.

I believe that the Media has stirred up undue panic about MRSA. MRSA was discovered in the 60's and really is nothing new. People are keeping kids home from school because of it. If a person takes the proper precautions they can avoid getting the "super bug". If a person gets MRSA, there are treatments.

Good Luck.

Answer 3

MRSA is a very contagious bacterial (staph) infection that is immune to nearly ALL antibiotics. It usually starts out as a small pimple..then the area around it becomes inflamed/red and it grows into a large boil filled with pus and blood. The area its in will become EXTREMELY painful. If you have it, don't play with it because you could spread the bacteria to other parts of your body and new boils will form. Worse yet, playing with it could push the infection into your bloodstream, and THIS is what kills people. It'll make all of your internal organs fail if left untreated, especially once its in your bloodstream (I hope a person wouldn't let it go THIS long before getting treatment) Only one or two antibiotics will help it go into remission, but a person infected with MRSA will likely always carry the bacteria on their skin/in their noses. If you don't yet have it, WASH YOUR HANDS ALL THE TIME! Don't share cups/utensils and other things with other people that may be infected, and stay away from tissues that someone might have used. Don't come into contact with sores on other people (you'd be kinda gross if you wanted to do that, so no worries here that you would). Carry around "Purel" or another type of alcohol/triclosan waterless hand sanitizer for when soap and water aren't available. Basically, just be cautious like you'd be during cold-season..just slightly moreso.

Answer 4

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/understanding-mrsa-methicillin-resistant-staphylococcus-aureus

Answer 5

I would say go to www.webmd.com. That site has all the info you need.