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Johns Hopkins Health Alert

The Facts on Super-Staph

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.

Posted in Healthy Living on December 17, 2008
Reviewed July 2009

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Health Alerts registered users may post comments and share experiences here at their own discretion. We regret that questions on individual health concerns to the Johns Hopkins editors cannot be answered in this space.

The views expressed here do not constitute medical advice, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins Medicine or MediZine LLC, which has no responsibility for any comments posted on this site.

My aunt just died of MRSA at Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach, Florida. She went in for lung cancer surgery- which was "successful" only to die a slow, difficult death within weeks. It was a nightmare. We noticed that some of the health care workers weren't particualarly careful about washing hands, etc. One woman who was trying (unsuccessfully) to draw blood from my aunt, broke through her glove with a sharp fingernail. She allowed the tip of the glove to fall to the floor, and continued trying to jab a vein without regloving. The sad part is that had my aunt opted for radiation, she would still be here- at least for years more! What a tragedy.

Posted by: tawna1 | December 27, 2008

Tawna1, I am so sorry about your aunt. I was and am blessed to have survided the MRSA,I was also septic. Which means my organs were shutting down. I was blessed to have the best Drs. My Pulmonoglist and infecticous drs, worked together to get me the right meds. To fight this nasty and I do mean nasty MRSA you have to have differant types of meds. IV Vacomycyin and A anti fungel IV for months. My Dr had the Incite to treat me with a antibiotic also for TB, which backed up the other meds.I am truly sorry for your Aunt, Her body thru hell . The good thing about all this with her now. Is She Is Not in anymore PAIN. When it comes to it, thats what matters most. I know you miss her. Time will heal.... Keep good memories.Remember her laugh and the things she laughed at, and you laugh at those things to. It brings joy to life. After all God did say, Life I give you. Not sorrow or pain. But Life and life more abundantly. Life is for the living.. So please enjoy your life.. Its more important then you will even know.What we leave behind, is the future of those we love. Kim

Posted by: JesusNMeLov | January 17, 2009

My wife and I have contracted (how I don't know) MRSA. We have undergone anti-biotics, nasal medicine, and body scrub prescribed by our Doctor. We do NOT have any open infections at this time after doing the above.

My questions are;

"Are we carriers of MRSA"?

Can we be completely rid of this infection?

Our Daughter is pregnant, must we worry about infecting her or her baby?

Does MRSA go into our internal Organs, sinus's, etc., and should we be concerned?

Not alot of answers have been forthcoming from our Doctor who is John's Hopkins affiliated!

If someone who reads this and knows the answers could post a reply, I would appreciate it.

Posted by: dabende | January 30, 2010



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