Methicillin Resistant Staph Aures – What Is It?

Everywhere we turn these days, we hear news reports about Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus or MRSA. But what exactly is it? First, it’s important to know “What is Staphylococcus aureus?” This is often referred to as Staph aureus and it is a bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. About 25% to 30% of the population carries this bacterium without causing any problems or infection. Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infections in the United States. Most of these skin infections are minor and can be treated without antibiotics. However, staph bacteria can also cause serious infections.

When the staph bacterium develops resistance to methicillin, oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin, it is then referred to as Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus or MRSA. This means the bacteria cannot be treated with these antibiotics. Resistance has developed and worsened due to inappropriate antibiotic use which includes not completing a round of antibiotics or unnecessary use of antibiotics for a viral illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 94,000 cases of MRSA infection occurred in 2005 and those cases were associated with over 18,000 deaths. Public awareness of MRSA has increased due to recent national media reports of staph infections in schools. With heightened community awareness of MRSA, the opportunity is here to involve everyone in an effort to prevent infections related to MRSA. The CDC estimates that 14% of MRSA infection originates in the community, outside of health care settings. The CDC report was published in the October 17 Journal of the American Medical Association and establishes the first national baseline for MRSA infection rates.

So what can you do to prevent MRSA infections? First, recognize and treat a MRSA skin infection right away. Skin infections that look like a pimple or boil and become red, swollen, and painful may be MRSA infections. They are often mistaken for spider bites. They may also have pus or other drainage. The most important factor in treating the MRSA infection is to have it drained and be on the correct antibiotics that will kill the infection. The wrong antibiotics will not help in this situation. Don’t use old antibiotics to treat any infection. In the case of MRSA, this could be deadly.

Secondly, practice good hygiene.
1. Keep hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol based hand sanitizer
2. Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed
3. Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages
4. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors

The most important defense is good hand hygiene. Teach your children to wash their hands and practice good hand hygiene yourself. For further information, contact Kathy Howard, RN, CIC, Director of Employee Health and Infection Control at Cumberland Medical Center, (931) 459-7248.