The After Effects of MRSA

MRSA is Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, a drug-resistant bacterial staph infection. There are many complications and after effects of MRSA, including death.

Warning

• MRSA is dangerous because it has built up immunity against the normal antibiotics used to treat staph infections. Doctors need to use stronger antibiotics to treat it, and infections are even becoming resistant to some of those drugs, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms

• The first symptoms of MRSA look similar to a staph infection with small red bumps or boils on the skin and possibly a fever. If the site gets larger, swollen, red, painful, hot or filled with pus, consult your doctor.

Skin After Affects

• The flesh is particularly susceptible to MRSA and can result in cellulitis or necrotization of the flesh. Cellulitis is extreme swelling of skin and joints in the area, fever, vomiting and swollen lymph nodes. Necrotization, or flesh eating disease, is a blackening and death of the tissue in the area of the MRSA bacteria. If your skin dies, you may need skin grafts to repair it, depending on the location.

Heart and Lung After Affects

• MRSA can affect the lungs causing pneumonia and lung infections. MRSA can damage the heart valves, causing endocarditis. Left untreated, endocarditis is a life-threatening illness that can cause stroke or heart failure.

Serious After Affects

• MRSA can cause sepsis or serious blood poisoning that can be fatal, according to Medline Plus.

Prevention

• Wash your hands often; do not share towels, razors or anything that touched someone else's skin. Avoid touching someone else's wound or rash.