MRSA: What you should know
St. John's Lutheran Hospital Information Bulletin
October 28, 2007
With the recent news media stories about the increase in a “new infection,” Methacillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), many people in our local community may want to have more information. The purpose of this brief article is to provide basic information about MRSA that you may not have received through the national news stories. As always, if you have any specific questions about individual concerns, you should address those concerns to your own healthcare provider.
Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacteria, often called “staph,” that can cause mild to severe infections of the skin, lungs, bones and blood. People can have staph germs on their skin normally. Infections caused by staph were once easily treated with common antibiotics, such as methacillin. However, over the last several years, one type of staph infection has developed a resistance to methacillin (and other antibiotics like it), and therefore has been named MRSA. This germ can affect people in hospitals and long-term care facilities, but can also be spread in the community among healthy children and adults. When not treated properly, MRSA infections can become serious, and can even cause death.
Anyone can get an MRSA infection. However, there are factors that make people more likely to develop an MRSA infection, including:
> A current or recent stay in a hospital or long-term care facility
> A recent operation or wound treatment
> The elderly
> Having a weakened immune system or serious illness
> Playing contact sports or sharing towels or athletic equipment
> Living or having close contact with someone who has an MRSA infection
MRSA infection is usually spread through direct skin–to–skin contact. People who are otherwise healthy can have MRSA in their noses or on their skin. Even though these individuals are not sick themselves, they can spread the MRSA germs to others. In hospitals and other healthcare settings, MRSA can be spread from infected patients on the hands of healthcare workers or on objects the infected patient may have touched. Outside healthcare settings, MRSA is again usually spread through direct contact through shared towels or athletic equipment, or through close contact with an infected individual.
What does an MRSA infection look like? Frequently, MRSA infections start as small red bumps on the skin that look like pimples or spider bites. These can turn into a more serious infection quickly. MRSA can also start in other ways and it can spread deeper into the body causing infections in bones, muscles, other tissues, the lungs and blood. If you have any concerns about a suspicious skin problem or infection, you need to consult your healthcare provider. You might have samples of blood, urine or infected tissue taken for lab testing to see if it is MRSA. If it turns out that you do have an MRSA infection, treatment is usually an antibiotic that is given through a vein in your arm.
Prevention of MRSA infection is the key, and the single most important thing that everyone can do is good hand washing! Both inside and outside of healthcare settings, washing hands often with soap and water is the number one way to prevent the spread of infections, including MRSA. Using an alcohol-based hand gel cleanser that contains at least 60% alcohol is also a very effective way to eliminate germs. Other things you should do to help protect yourself include:
> Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered until they heal
> Avoid contact with the wounds or bandages of others
> Avoid sharing towels, razors, clothing or athletic equipment
In healthcare settings, all healthcare workers routinely receive education outlining basic infection control procedures to be followed for all patients. Staff also receives more specific education about ways to protect patients who may have more serious infections such as MRSA. Everyone in healthcare takes seriously their responsibility to prevent the spread of infections, not only for the protection of patients, but also for themselves and their own families, as we are all part of the community.
St. John’s Lutheran Hospital: Dedicated to Quality, Devoted to Caring, Committed to Community
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