MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a strain of staph bacteria that has become resistant to antibiotics normally used to treat common staph infections. MRSA occurs most commonly in people who are treated in hospitals or nursing homes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that approximately 94,360 people developed MRSA infections in 2005. Treatment of MRSA often requires more than one drug given over an extended period.
Transmission
S. aureus commonly lives in the skin and nasal passages of healthy people. When the bacteria enter the body, it often causes infection. Bacteria can enter the body through an incision, cut or sore. In the hospital, patients may develop an infection from a breathing tube, urinary catheter or through an intravenous catheter, according to the National Institutes of Health. The infection can be minor, such as a pimple or abscess, or it can move into the organs such as the heart, lung, blood and bone and cause major complications.
Treatments
Physicians may treat minor infections on the skin by draining the sore, cleaning it thoroughly and covering it with a bandage. Serious MRSA infections, especially those that occur in the hospital, often involve antibiotic treatment. The drug of choice for treating MRSA is Vancomycin, according to the North Dakota Department of Health. Vancomycin is commonly given intravenously. If the MRSA strain appears to resist vancomycin, then physicians will often move on to the antibiotic linezolid. Some physicians choose to treat with a combination of the drugs Rifampin and Bactrim. In rare cases, physicians will use tetracycline to treat MRSA.
Side Effects
Like most medications, the antibiotics used to treat MRSA have side effects, some of which are severe. Vancomycin may cause hearing loss, according to the MayoClinic.com. It can also be toxic to the kidneys. Sulfonamide medications such as Bactrim have been known to cause a serious disorder known as Stephen Johnson syndrome, in which severe lesions can appear around the mouth, eyes and anus. This disorder can lead to a rapid degeneration of the skin, severe liver damage and agranulocytosis, a dangerous blood disorder. Rifampin may increase blood pressure and uric acid levels and can increase the risk of developing hepatitis. Tetracycline can cause patients to have photosensitivity, as well as diarrhea, upset stomach, skin discoloration and itching of the vagina and rectum.
Time Frame
Treatment of MRSA can often involve a lengthy hospital stay. If physicians are treating with intravenous vancomycin, patients may require a stay for up to eight weeks to ensure that the infection is gone. Less serious infections often only require oral antibiotics taken over the course of a few weeks.
Prevention
Preventing MRSA often involves being vigilant about aseptic precautions. If a person is in the hospital, he must ensure that staff washes hands before touching them. Hospital workers should wash hands frequently, sterilize medical equipment and isolate patients who have drug-resistant strains of S. aureus, according to Merck Online Medical Library.
