There is always some news story circulating trying to scare us about the next big threat. MRSA seems to come in and out of the lime light…I feel like the threat of MRSA pops up in the news when the fear of the flu/swine flu/bird blue/Ebola wanes. And I am often approached by patients asking, “I saw the news about MRSA -what is it??”
So a li’l background for ya!
MRSA: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (you can see why it is shortened).
Let’s start with the Staphylococcus Aureus, better known as a staph infection. Staph is a bacteria that everyone has on their skin. At times, when the skin is cut the bacteria takes this opportunity to cause an infection. Most kids will get a staph skin or respitory infection at least once during their child/teenhood. It is typically successfully treated with a topical or oral antibacterial.
This infection is called MSSA: Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus.
The difference between MSSA and MRSA: MSSA is more easily treated and has many options of antibiotics that can be used -like methicillin (which is similar to penicillin). Funny side note–methicillin isn’t even available any longer in the States but the name stuck! MRSA is methicillin (penicillin) resistant -which means it has fewer options for treatment and can often cause a more serious infection. So, MRSA is a bigger deal then MSSA.
MRSA and MSSA can infect anywhere in the body: skin, blood, bone, lungs, heart but usually MSSA likes to infect skin the most.
Within the world of MRSA, we have Community acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) and Hospital acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA). Many people can have CA-MRSA but never show any symptoms of infection. Some people will develop an infection from the CA-MRSA and it usually can be treated successfully with oral antibiotics.
HA-MRSA is the most difficult to treat. This is because this bacteria lives in the hospital and has had the opportunity to develop resistance to many antibiotics and adapt to its environment and hosts! HA-MRSA sometimes needs to be treated with IV medications (such as vancomycin or daptomycin) for weeks and sometimes months.
Signs of MRSA: MRSA is spread by physical contact with infected person or object. First sign is usually small, red pimple like bumps that can become painful and pus-filled. Symptoms that follow can include: fever, cough, shortness of breath.
How to best avoid infection? The best way to prevent infection –keep healthy! 🙂 Eat a diet low in sugar (bacteria LOVES sugar!) and high in veggies, get plenty of sleep and water (see article about how much water to drink). Optimize your Vitamin D levels. Wash your hands with good ole soap and water and only use antibiotics when it is a bacterial infection and they are totally necessary!
Please leave us some comments/questions!