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What Is Hospital-Acquired MRSA?

MRSA, also called the "super bug," is a hard-to-treat bacteria. Symptoms depend on what part of the body has the infection, although it usually causes mild skin infections. Fortunately, most infections are not serious, but some are life-threatening.

  1. MRSA

    • MRSA, or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a strain of the Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. Besides skin infections, MRSA causes lung, bone and heart infections.

    HA-MRSA

    • Hospital-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA) occurs in people who have recently been in the hospital or in another health care setting. MRSA bacteria are responsible for many cases of hospital-acquired staph infections. People who have been hospitalized or have had surgery within the last year are at an increased risk.

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms of MRSA skin infections include a red, swollen, painful skin area, as well as pus from the wound, fever and warmth around the infection. Symptoms of a more serious infection include chest pain, chills, fatigue, rash and shortness of breath.

    Treatment

    • More serious infections are becoming more difficult to treat. There are some medications that are available, and it is important to finish the prescription. Stopping treatment can cause drug resiliency or even a relapse.

    Prognosis

    • The prognosis depends on the severity of the infection and the overall health of the patient. For a localized skin infection, draining the sore might be the only treatment needed. However, MRSA-related pneumonia and blood infections often result in death.

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