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Staphaseptic for Staph Infections

Staphylococcus is made up of a group of bacteria that can result in a multitude of diseases ranging from mild to potentially fatal. Usually referred to as "staph," the most common type is Staphylococcus aureus, which is generally found in the nose and on the skin. For years, staph infections were usually associated with stays in the hospital, but they have since spread outside the walls of health institutes and into the general public.

  1. Staph Bacteria

    • Staph infections begin with staph bacteria. Most people have the bacteria, which live harmlessly in the nose or on the skin, but when it enters the bloodstream through a cut or scrape it becomes an infection and can multiply rapidly, often within hours. Staph bacteria live in abundance on floors, walls, bath towels and exercise equipment. Gyms, shopping centers, grocery stores and hospitals have recently begun installing dispensers offering antiseptic wipes or gels designed to kill the bacteria before it enters the body.

    Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

    • For years, antibiotics such as methicillin have been used to treat staph infections, but recently the bacteria started to outsmart the antibiotics, sometimes making them ineffective. MRSA is an infection that resists antibiotics, and like regular staph, can be transmitted from person to person or acquired from an object. Older adults and persons with weakened immune systems are most susceptible to MRSA, which can be deadly.

    Staphaseptic

    • The most effective way to kill staph bacteria on the skin is by applying some type of antibacterial product. But killing the MRSA bacteria is often difficult with popular antibacterial creams or gels. A relatively new product known as Staphaseptic is answering the public's concern about MRSA, and its makers claim it kills 99.9 percent of MRSA germs.

    First Aid

    • The active ingredients of Staphaseptic are benzethonium chloride and lidocaine, making it a good topical pain reliever, as well as an antiseptic. Sold in most drug stores, Staphaseptic is advertised as a first aid bactericide gel designed to be applied to minor cuts and scrapes and then covered with a sterile bandage. It's also recommended to treat poison oak, poison ivy, itching and insect bites.

    Warnings

    • Tec Laboratories Inc., the manufacturer of Staphaseptic, warns against using the product for deep puncture wounds, serious burns or animal bites. The gel should not be used in or near the eyes, and if ingested you should immediately call your poison control center or seek medial help.

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