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Public Education on MRSA

Many of us know that hospitals are places we can go to get treatment if we are sick or injured. What many of us don't know, however, is that while a hospital is supposed to be a place of healing, it can also be a place where we can become infected with a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection known as MRSA.

  1. What is MRSA?

    • MRSA is a special type of staph infection. In most cases, the simple bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus causes a skin infection that leaves the skin with a bright red rash that is sometimes painful to the touch. These infections are usually minor, and a prescription antibiotic known as methicillin treats them in most cases.
      A certain kind of staph bacteria called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is immune to the antibiotic.

    Where can MRSA be contracted?

    • In the health care community, two categories of MRSA are location-based. The most common cause of MRSA infections take place in hospitals, and sometimes in other settings where health care is needed such as nursing homes or dialysis centers. This is known as HA-MRSA, or heath care-associated MRSA.
      The second type is community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) and is found in certain places where large groups of people interact in close proximity, such as public pools.

    Who is most at risk for MRSA?

    • Many times, our body's own immune systems are capable of fighting off staph infections, including MRSA. Anyone can contract MRSA, but two groups of people are more susceptible. Those two groups are the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. Both of these groups tend to have weaker-than-normal immune systems and are often hospitalized many times throughout the year, which greatly increases their exposure to HA-MRSA.

    Signs and symptoms of MRSA

    • According the Centers for Disease Control (CDC): Most staph skin infections, including MRSA, appear as a bump or infected area on the skin that may be:
      • Red
      • Swollen
      • Painful
      • Warm to the touch
      • Full of pus or other drainage
      • Accompanied by a fever

    Treatment options.

    • Only a qualified medical professional can tell you if you have MRSA. If this rare strain of staph bacteria has infected you, there is a variety of treatment options. A popular antibiotic used to treat both community and hospital associated MRSA is vancomycin. The draining of infected areas is also used when the doctor feels it can be beneficial to the patient.

      While MRSA can be a troubling disease, it doesn't have to keep you up at night. Study the signs and symptoms listed above, and if you suspect that something may be wrong, seek the advice of a licensed medical professional.

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