MRSA Infection in Young Children

MRSA bacteria exist naturally on your skin, but when it becomes an infection it is a worrisome diagnosis. Since this bacteria is resistant to antibiotics, it can be difficult to treat, especially in young children.

Symptoms

• A pimple-like rash, boils or abscesses on the skin is a first symptom that is most commonly seen in young children.

Unresponsive

• If your child's infection doesn't respond to antibiotics, then it's potentially a staph infection of MRSA that can be significantly more serious.

Significance

• Chills combined with fever and chest pain or difficulty breathing means that the infection has spread to the blood and lungs of your child. This requires the attention of medical staff immediately.

Test

• Your pediatrician will likely take a culture to identify MRSA specifically. Since it takes time for the culture to develop, you may find that the pediatrician prescribes medications to treat MRSA in your young child even before the culture is conclusive.

Prevention/Solution

• The typical antibiotics prescribed for a young child include Bactrim, vancomycin or clindamycin. Vancomycin is given intravenously to patients who are hospitalized.