Worried about MRSA? In this Health Alert, Dr. Michele F. Belantoni explains why this antibiotic-resistant staph infection is so hard to treat and provides advice to help you avoid it.
Until recently, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, had been confined mostly to health care facilities. But now, some healthy adults and children are contracting this potentially fatal staph infection, which can "eat" the skin and attack vital organs. According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MRSA killed more Americans than AIDS in 2005.
"When someone comes into contact with MRSA, it 'colonizes' the skin and inner nose," explains Michele F. Belantoni, M.D., Director of Johns Hopkins Bayview Care Center. "Generally, the staph infection causes no harm; however, when people exposed to the bacteria get deep cuts or undergo surgery, infections may develop."
Most staph infections start as painful pimples or boils. MRSA is difficult to treat because it produces more inflammatory toxins than other staph infections, and it doesn't respond to conventional medications like penicillins or several other antibiotics. Risk factors include hospitalization within the past year (particularly for surgery), residence in a long-term care facility, frequent antibiotic use, and casual contact with intravenous-drug users. Some people also have contracted MRSA from sharing gym equipment or playing contact sports.
To reduce your risk of the MRSA staph infection:
- Keep abrasions on your skin clean, dry, and covered and avoid handling other people's wounds;
- Don't share personal items like towels or razors;
- Use flip-flops in public showers;
- Put clean towels over the handle-bars of exercise machines;
- Wash your hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer several times each day; and,
- Don't be afraid to ask healthcare providers to wash their hands and wipe their stethoscopes before treating you.
To prevent further development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, avoid taking antibiotics unnecessarily for viruses like colds. Above all, don't panic: You should not stay away from the hospital to avoid the MRSA staph infection. It's been around for decades, and many drugs -- like tetracyclines, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, rifampin, and linezolid -- can still kill the bacterium, particularly when detected early.
