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MRSA In 1990, hospitals began to see a rise in the presence of the bacteria Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA). Today, this formerly “unfamiliar” bacterium is a common household term, known as “staph”, because of its presence in hospitals, nursing homes, and the community at large. The prevalence of MRSA is one example of the rising incidence of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. The presence of MRSA is a concern for all, so let’s take a closer look. What is MRSA? Staph aureus is a common bacterium found on the skin and within the nasal passages. It does not cause a problem for someone until the skin is cut and the bacteria enter the body. Then, a localized infection can occur that may appear red and exhibit drainage. Staph may also be present in a pimple or a boil. What are the symptoms and causes? Any skin infection is at risk for MRSA. The presentation of an MRSA infection resembles the symptoms of other infections – the skin may appear reddened, warm, and swollen. There may be an eventual drainage of pus. In more advanced infections, a patient may become quite ill with fever, chills, weakness, and abnormal vital signs. This is called sepsis, which many people refer to as blood poisoning. Risks for the development of MRSA include recent hospitalization, living in long-term care facilities, recent antibiotic use, and the placement of invasive devices such as dialysis catheters. In the community, students are at risk for infection through contact sports and the sharing of towels. MRSA is also seen in patients with weakened immune systems or those living in unsanitary conditions. What is the treatment? Diagnosis will be made through culture of the pus and the blood. The sample is placed on an agar plate, which is a growing medium in the laboratory. Medical Technologists identify the species of bacteria and check susceptibility to a variety of antibiotics, thus helping medical practitioners provide appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, over the years, staph has become resistant to antibiotics, such as penicillin, because of their overuse. In addition, antibiotics have been used in the raising of cattle, pigs, and chickens, leading to antibiotics in ground water and the environment at large. In essence, the bacteria become “familiar” with antibiotics because of overexposure to them and then are able to mutate and alter their defense mechanisms, thus outliving attack by the antibiotic. When an infection is present and drainage can be cultured, a laboratory process will identify what antibiotics will work against the infection. There are several different classes of antibiotics, including the familiar penicillin. Methicillin, “super penicillin,” has now has been rendered infective in up to 20 percent of staph infections because of its overuse. Thus, a different and many times more complex and expensive antibiotic is needed to treat a simple infection. When a severe MRSA infection is identified, the most powerful antibiotic, vancomycin must be prescribed. How is it prevented? Health care professionals are very concerned about the prevalence of MRSA because it is highly contagious. Individually, everyone should take responsibility for helping stop the spread of MRSA. It starts with good hand washing after touching others. Infected wounds must be covered, and soiled bandages must be discarded appropriately. It is also essential that personal items, such as towels and razors, not be shared. In order to mitigate the overuse of antibiotics, it is important for persons to avoid unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for infections that are thought to be viral, such as a cold. Most recently, hospitals have employed a strategy of screening all high-risk patients admitted to the intensive care unit. A nasal swab is taken to identify if these critically ill patients are carriers of MRSA. This assists medical staff in taking extra precautions to prevent the spread of the infection within the hospital environment and to the community. This is a problem that concerns all of us and citizens and medical professionals must address it on a daily basis. |
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