MRSA Infection

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. James Freese
  • 509th Medical Group
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Introduction

Over the past few years and recently in the press, there had been increasing attention to this emerging infection. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus infection (MRSA) is an infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, often called "staph." The staph bacteria itself is not new and has been around forever. As we improved our antibiotics and made them stronger, they unfortunately were used indiscriminately. As a result, organisms such as the staph bacteria became resistant to the usual antibiotics we currently use and have developed into what can be called a "super bug." It has been postulated that MRSA has the potential to cause more deaths this year than AIDS.

Facts

Staph bacteria are normally found on the skin or in the nose of about one-third of the population without causing any health problem. The majority of these individuals are not sick and are said to be "colonized" but not infected. However, the staph bacteria can be passed on to others. Usually harmless, it is when the staph enter the body through a cut or other opening in the skin that they can develop into the MRSA infection. If this is not addressed and treated appropriately, it can cause serious illness.

What does a staph infection look like? Usually it starts off like a pimple or a boil or even a spider bite. Then, it keeps getting larger, redder and more tender and can turn into a deep abscess that requires surgical drainage. It does not stop there. The staph can grow into life-threatening infections in bones, joints, the lungs and even the heart.

Who is at risk for getting MRSA?

Children are at an increased risk. Often entering the body through a cut or a scrape, MRSA can rapidly progress and cause a wide-spread infection. The children may be more susceptible because their immune systems have not yet fully developed.

Contact Sports. MRSA has found its way into the locker rooms and onto the sports fields. From the local schools to the professional athletes, no one is safe. It can easily pass through cuts, abrasions and skin to skin contact.

Sharing towels or athletic equipment. One person who is a carrier of MRSA can sweat and colonize a towel or a piece of equipment. The next person may have a cut or an opening in the skin and use the same piece of equipment. If unlucky, the MRSA may have just found a new home.


Preventing MRSA.

You must be aware and protect yourself. The following precautions can save a world of hurt. 

Hand washing - this is the single most effective way to control spread of MRSA. Wash hands frequently with warm water and soap. Examples; after using the bathroom, before eating, after going to the gym, after practice, after play, etc. 

Keep fingernails clean and clipped short. 

Avoid contact with other people's wounds or anything contaminated by a wound. If you have an open wound and will be participating in a sport or exercise program, cover the entire wound with a dressing for protection. 

Avoid sharing personal items such as razors, body jewelry, towels, deodorant, or soap that directly touch the body. 

Clean and disinfect objects (such as gym and sports equipment) before and after use. 

Wash dirty clothes, linens, and towels with hot water and laundry detergent. Using a hot dryer, rather than air-drying, also helps kill bacteria. 

Encourage individuals who participate in contact sports to shower immediately after each practice, game, or match. 

Wash gym and athletic clothes after each use. 

Keep open or draining sores and lesions clean and covered. This can prevent bacteria from entering a wound as well as from leaving a wound. 

When to seek medical advice? 

Keep an eye on minor skin problems - pimples, insect bites, cuts and scrapes - especially in children. If a wound looks like it is becoming infected, call the clinic and make an appointment to see you PCM.