Multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA is a bacterium responsible for difficult to treat infections, commonly acquired by people residing in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons, predominately due to poor hygiene standards. MRSA is defined as any strain of Staphylococcus aureus that has developed resistance to the beta-lactam class of antibiotics, which includes the penicillins and cephalosporisns, according to Centers for Disease control and Prevention.
Sites of Infections
Colonies of MRSA are commonly found in the nasal passages, respiratory and urinary tracts, and at sites of open wounds such as those found in patients fitted with an intravenous catheter, according to National Institutes of Health.
First symptoms
Small red bumps resembling boils or pimples are often the first symptom of MRSA, accompanied later by fever and skin rashes in some cases. MRSA can proliferate rapidly, becoming resistant to treatment approximately 72 hours after initial symptoms, at which time bumps increase in size, becoming painful and developing into deep, pus filled boils, according to a May 2010 article published by Mayo Clinic.
Complications
About 75 percent of MRSA infections are localized to the skin and soft tissue, and can be treated effectively in most cases. However, in a minority of cases the bacteria proliferates more rapidly leading to widespread infection of multiple body systems and life threatening complications, including infective endocarditis, Necrotizing fasciitis and pyomyositis, according to the British National Health Service.
Infective Endocarditis
A common and extremely severe complication of MRSA is infective endocarditis, a condition in which the valves of the heart become colonized by the bacteria leading to fever and heart murmur, impaired immune system and blood clotting problems, according to an April 2007 article published in "Circulation."
Necrotizing Fasciitis
Proliferation of MRSA at wound sites can develop into a severe and rapidly spreading infection of deep skin layers and underlying tissue in a condition termed Necrotizing fasciitis, commonly referred to as flesh eating bacterial syndrome. Patients often suffer extreme pain, fever, skin discoloration and blistering, all within a matter of hours. Mortality rates have been recorded as high as 73 percent in cases where no treatment was administered, according to a May 1998 article published in the "Cleveland Clinical Journal of Medicine."
Pyomyositis
Growth of MRSA in skeletal muscles, commonly the quadriceps and gluteal muscles can cause a condition known as pyomyositis, in which these muscles become ridden with pus filled abscesses which need to be drained surgically and treated with targeted antibiotics, according to an article published in the "Postgraduate Medical Journal" in May 2004.
References
- MayoClinic.com: MRSA Infection
- Consultant Live; Managing CA-MRSA Infections: Current and Emerging Options; "Infections in Medicine; J. Raygada, D. Levine; March 2009
- American Heart Association; "Circulation"; Prevention of Infective Endocarditis; W. Wilson et al; April 2007
- PubMed; "Cleveland Clinical Journal of Medicine"; Group A Streptococcal Necrotizing Fasciitis. Diagnosing and treating the "flesh-eating bacteria syndrome"; T. File et al; May 1998
- PubMed; "Postgraduate Medical Journal; Tropical pyomyositis (myositis tropicans): current perspective; S. Chauhan et al; May 2004
