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MRSA Is Serious, But
Preventable and Treatable
Preventable and Treatable
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Simple good hygiene can prevent this potentially deadly infection
MRSA – a strain of staph bacteria found in hospitals that was resistant to broad-spectrum antibiotics – was first documented in 1961, according to Dr. Steve Threlkeld, an infectious disease specialist. Many people – up to 30 percent of the population – carry staph bacteria on their skin but are not sick. However, they can still spread the germ to others who could become ill. Staph bacteria typically live in the outer part of the nostrils. For years, MRSA was confined to hospital settings but has attracted media attention recently because an increasing number of people outside health care settings have become infected by the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Some have died. Typically MRSA infections result in minor skin problems in healthy people. The real danger comes when it enters the bloodstream through an opening in the skin, such as a cut or wound. At this point, MRSA can become fatal. Most people who die from the infection are already hospitalized for another illness, but some fatal cases have occurred outside medical facilities. “It is a very serious condition that has been around for decades,” said Threlkeld. MRSA can spread in places where large groups of people share a confined space and may share personal hygiene items or sports/fitness equipment, including gymnasiums, locker rooms, dormitories and health clubs. People can greatly reduce their chances of getting an MRSA infection by practicing good personal hygiene—washing their hands, not sharing towels with others and wiping down fitness equipment at health clubs before using them. MRSA is often spread after someone touches their nose and then shakes hands with someone or touches a piece of fitness equipment shared by others. It can also be transmitted during contact sports (wrestling, football, basketball, etc.). Threlkeld stresses that MRSA is treatable. Skin infections can often be treated by a physician with hot soaks, drainage and/or antibiotics. MRSA often appears as a boil that resembles a spider bite with a dark center surrounded by redness and swelling. Sometimes it can be accompanied by fever and chills. Watch minor skin problems such as pimples, insect bites, cuts and scrapes. If wounds become infected, visit a physician. Infections could spread to the bloodstream if not treated by a physician. Although it is unclear why MRSA infections are occurring more frequently outside health care settings, some experts blame the overuse of antibiotics. For years, antibiotics have been prescribed for colds and other viral infections that don’t respond to these drugs. Antibiotics don’t kill every germ they target. The bacteria not killed by antibiotics can develop resistance to them. “Use common sense, pay attention and in general avoid use of antibiotics when not necessary,” said Threlkeld.
Published: Dec. 3, 2007
Source: Dr. Steve Threlkeld, infectious disease specialist Writer: Elizabeth Todd Bartholomew, MA, APR  Top of Page |
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