Janet's Guidelines for Good Health

Community-acquired MRSA

Antibiotics, the wonder drugs, were treated casually and over prescribed for years until resistant strains of bacteria began to emerge. I remember when MRSA arrived on the scene. It was confined to hospitals, and then it began to be transmitted in nursing homes and dialysis centers. Now for about a decade it is also being transmitted from person to person in the community. Community Acquired MRSA is just that…community acquired. It does not originate in a hospital or other health care facility. While rates of Hospital Acquired invasive MRSA infections in the United States are falling, there is little evidence that the risk of developing Community Acquired MRSA is following the same downward trend.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics including methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin, and amoxicillin. There are still antibiotics capable of treating MRSA. However, as the bacteria mutate they can (and are) becoming resistant to additional antibiotics. It is extremely important that we use antibiotics only when necessary and that we take all the doses as prescribed even if the infection is getting better.

There are different varieties of Staff Aureus. Staph bacteria are normally found on the skin or in the nose of about one-third of the population according to the CDC. The bacteria are generally harmless unless they enter the body through a cut or other wound, and even then they usually cause only minor problems in healthy people. According to the Florida Department of Health, data submitted by a large commercial lab showed that in Sarasota County in 2010 46.2% of all Staph Aureus cultures were classified as MRSA..

In the community, most MRSA infections are skin infections that may appear as pustules or boils which often are red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. At first they may look like spider bites or bumps that are red, swollen, and painful. These skin infections commonly occur at sites of visible skin trauma, such as cuts and abrasions. Sometimes the bacteria remain confined to the skin. But they can also burrow deep into the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections.MRSA in the community is widespread and therefore, anyone is at risk. Factors that have been associated with the spread of MRSA skin infections include: close skin-to-skin contact, openings in the skin such as cuts or abrasions, contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions, and poor hygiene. People may be more at risk in locations where these factors are common, including: athletic facilities, dormitories, military barracks, correctional facilities, and daycare centers. or an abscess or boil, incision and drainage is the primary treatment. Antibiotics may also be necessary in some cases. Usually those with cellulites are treated with antibiotics if the culture reveals MRSA.

Prevention

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer for times you don’t have access to soap and water.

• Keep cuts and scrapes covered with a dry sterile bandage until healed.

• Avoid contact with other people’s wounds.

• Keep personal items personal. Avoid sharing items such as towels or razors.

•Shower immediately after athletic games or practices.

For more information, check out the Health Ministry bulletin board and resource table or http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/index.html .

In His Great Love,
Janet Headley, RN