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What is MRSA? Fact Sheet
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (updated 4/15/09)
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What is MRSA and where is it
found?
Staphylococcus aureus
(staph) is a bacteria commonly found on the skin and in the nose of
healthy people. Some staph bacteria have developed resistance to
certain antibiotics commonly used to treat staph infections, and are
called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
Staph, including MRSA, can cause minor infections such as pimples
and boils, or it can cause more serious infections, such as
abscesses, pneumonia, and bone or bloodstream infections. Many MRSA
skin infections are initially misdiagnosed as spider bites. However,
verified spider bites are extremely rare and the spiders that cause
significant bites are uncommon in Southern California. Some people
have MRSA on their body or in their nose but no symptoms of
infection. This is called colonization.
How is MRSA spread?
Staph, including MRSA, is almost always spread person to person by
skin-to-skin contact, mostly by the hands. It can also be spread by
objects, such as towels and clothes, that have been contaminated
with the bacteria and then are shared or used by someone else. It is
not uncommon to have MRSA infections spread among household members,
sports team members, or other people who have frequent close contact
and/or share personal items.
Who is at risk for MRSA infection?
People may be at increased risk for MRSA if their body’s immune
system is weak and unable to fight off infections. Several factors
may contribute to increased risk for MRSA infection in some people.
The most common factors are having frequent contact with the
healthcare system, having a chronic illness such as diabetes,
cancer, HIV/AIDS, being very young or very old, frequent use of
antibiotics, having an open wound, dermatitis or skin lesions, poor
nutrition and poor hygiene. Some people are at increased risk
because they have a tube going into their body, such as kidney
dialysis patients or people with urinary catheters. In the past,
people who developed MRSA infection usually had one of these
factors.
However, more and more frequently, healthy people have been getting
MRSA in the community, without contact with hospitals or healthcare
facilities. Crowded living conditions, frequent skin-to-skin
contact, breaks in the skin, lack of cleanliness, and recent
antibiotic use are risk factors for MRSA infections in the
community. In the past few years, there have been clusters of skin
and soft tissue infections in certain groups, such as prison
inmates, players of close-contact sports, and men who have sex with
men. Other healthy people may develop MRSA infections just from
being in close contact with people who carry these bacteria on them.
Can MRSA be treated?
Yes. Although MRSA is resistant to many antibiotics, there are
others that can be used to treat MRSA infection, especially the type
that is acquired in the community. Special laboratory testing can
help doctors decide which antibiotics will be the most effective for
treating an infection. If antibiotics are prescribed, it is very
important to finish taking the medicine entirely, as prescribed by
the doctor. This will help prevent the staph bacteria from becoming
resistant to the antibiotics used to treat the infection. Often
drainage of the pus in a staph infection by the doctor is enough to
treat it and antibiotics are not needed at all.
What should you do if you think
you have a staph infection?
See your doctor. If you have an infected wound or sore, especially
one that is not getting better, your doctor may do laboratory
testing to see if it is caused by MRSA. The test will also tell the
doctor which antibiotic will be most effective in treating your
infection, if antibiotics are needed at all. If you are diagnosed
with MRSA, be sure to tell your future health care providers that
you have had this infection.
Can MRSA infections be prevented?
Good personal hygiene is the most important way to prevent MRSA
infection and transmission. Bathe or shower regularly, avoid
touching the nose, wash hands often with soap and warm water, don’t
share personal items, and keep any breaks or cuts in the skin clean
and dry to prevent infections. Since MRSA is easily spread by
skin-to-skin contact, regular hand washing is important for
prevention. If someone in your household has MRSA infection, see
“What precautions should be followed if someone at home has MRSA?”
below on how to limit spread within the household.
Is MRSA a reportable
disease?
Effective February 13, 2008, severe infections with
Staphylococcus aureus (not just methicillin-resistant strains)
resulting in death or intensive care unit admissions in a previously
healthy person are reportable.
In addition to these severe infections, any clusters or outbreaks of
S. aureus, including MRSA, are reportable.
Do patients with MRSA in the hospital have to be isolated?
Patients with MRSA who are in the hospital may have to be isolated,
especially if the infection is in a wound that is draining or in the
lungs and they are coughing. These patients should be separated from
other patients who are very ill in order to avoid spreading the
infection. Sometimes they may be placed in a room with another
patient who also has MRSA.
What precautions should be followed if someone at home has MRSA?
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Wash your hands
with soap and water often and after any contact with wounds,
infected band-aids, bandages, or dressings. Warm water is best.
-
Keep any skin
infections, especially those with pus or drainage, covered with
clean, dry bandages.
-
Avoid sharing
personal items (towels, razors, etc.,) that may come in contact
with infected fluids.
-
All clothing,
towels and linens that come in contact with the wound should be
handled separately from those of other members of the household.
This includes using a separate hamper. Wash linens, towels and
clothes in hot water and laundry detergent and dry in a hot
dryer.
-
Clean the
infected person’s room, personal items, and any non-cloth items
that come in contact with the wound or drainage with a
commercial disinfectant or a fresh solution of one part bleach
to 100 parts water (i.e., one tablespoon of bleach to one quart
of water). Be sure to make a fresh solution every day. A
phenol-containing product such as Lysol® or Pinesol®
may also be used and a phenol-containing spray can be used to
disinfect cloth or upholstered surfaces if needed, always
following the manufacturer’s directions on the label.
-
The infected
person should have a designated chair or area for sitting as
long as there are still draining wounds. This chair or area
should have a hard surface or an easily cleaned plastic or
similar cover that can be disinfected. No one else should sit
here until the person’s wound(s) has/have healed. The chair
should be disinfected (as above) after the infected person sits
on it.
-
Wear gloves if
you handle bodily fluids (blood, urine, wound drainage) or have
to change dressings. Wash your hands after removing the gloves.
-
Carefully
dispose of dressings and gloves in a plastic bag. Again, wash
your hands well after discarding the plastic bag. The plastic
bag may be disposed of with the regular household trash.
-
If you have or
develop an infection, inform any healthcare providers about the
MRSA in your household.
-
If possible,
people with MRSA infections should limit close contact with
persons with open wounds or skin lesions.
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