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Learn About MRSA Infection: Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention

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MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a strain of staphylococcus bacteria resistant to many antibiotics, making it difficult to treat. It can cause severe infections, particularly in individuals with weakened immune systems.
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MRSA infections are classified as healthcare-associated (HA-MRSA) or community-associated (CA-MRSA). Both types spread through skin-to-skin contact, with CA-MRSA commonly affecting those in crowded environments.
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Prevent MRSA by practicing good hygiene, covering wounds, and avoiding sharing personal items. If infected, MRSA can be treated with specific antibiotics and, if necessary, surgical drainage of abscesses.
What is MRSA?
Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria commonly live in the skin and nose of about 33% of the population. They are harmless but can cause skin infections if they gain entry into the body through a cut or wound. In most healthy people, a staph skin infection does not cause major problems.
However, about 5% of the population carries a type of staph called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), pronounced “mersa.” It is a strain of Staphylococcus bacteria that has developed resistance to many commonly used antibiotics. Severe MRSA infections can be life-threatening.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria have developed due to the inappropriate use of antibiotics over the past few decades. This includes the use of antibiotics to treat viral infections like the common cold and flu (antibiotics only work against bacterial infections). Even when they are used to treat bacterial infections, overuse of antibiotics can lead to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. This happens because antibiotics don’t kill all the bacteria, and the ones that survive learn to resist or escape one or more antibiotics.
Types of MRSA Infection
Healthcare-Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA)
Healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) occurs in people who have been in healthcare settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and dialysis units. Risk factors include invasive procedures, surgeries, intravenous lines, invasive medical device implantation such as catheter placement, and artificial joints. Hospital-acquired MRSA can spread through unclean hands and contaminated surfaces if healthcare workers don’t follow good hand hygiene practices. Although this bacteria can survive on objects and linens, it is not considered a significant transmission route, and the primary transmission mode is through direct skin-to-skin contact.
Community Associated MRSA (CA-MRSA)
Community-associated MRSA occurs outside healthcare settings. It spreads through skin-to-skin contact and contaminated surfaces. The first sign is often a painful skin bump or boil. Risk factors for CA-MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection) include living in crowded or unhygienic conditions or having close contact with others, for example, childcare providers, wrestlers, and athletes involved in contact sports. Additional risk factors for community-acquired MRSA are men having sex with men, HIV infection, and IV drug use.
Identifying MRSA Symptoms
What Are 4 Signs of MRSA Skin Infections?
MRSA symptoms and signs include:
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Rash or area of skin that is red, painful, with swollen bumps that resemble spider or insect bites or pimples
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Pus or drainage from the area
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Warm to the touch
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Fever
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Pain at the infection site
Sometimes, severe infections can result in deep, painful boils called abscesses. In this case, it may be necessary to treat MRSA with surgical drainage.
Complications
MRSA infections may be limited to the skin. However, sometimes, MRSA can spread deeper into the body and cause serious infections such as:
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Soft tissue infections
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Joint infections
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Bone infections (osteomyelitis)
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Surgical wound infections
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Bloodstream infections
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Heart valve infections and endocarditis
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Lung infections
An invasive MRSA infection can lead to sepsis and be life-threatening or even fatal. People with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of serious MRSA infections.
Signs of Severe MRSA Infections and When to Seek Help
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you cannot tell it is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) just by looking at the skin wound. A MRSA infection can resemble a pimple, insect bite, spider bite, cut, or scrape.
Seek care from a healthcare professional if you have symptoms such as red, painful, swollen skin bumps accompanied by fever, especially if the symptoms do not improve within 48 hours. If you suspect MRSA symptoms, take the following precautions until you can get in to see your doctor:
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Do not pop or burst the bump.
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Cover the area with a clean, dry dressing or bandage.
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Wash your hands often.
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Avoid skin-to-skin contact with others.
How Is MRSA Diagnosed?
The traditional method of diagnosing MRSA is culture and sensitivity. It involves taking a tissue sample from the infection site (wound swab, nasal swab, blood sample, or urine sample). The sample is sent to the lab, where it is placed in a petri dish that contains nutrients that promote bacterial growth - this is called the “culture.” If any bacterium grows in the petri dish, it can be identified under the microscope and also checked for sensitivity to specific antibiotics.
Newer MRSA Testing Procedures
The traditional culture and sensitivity testing takes 24-48 hours for the results to be available because the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium takes time to grow in the petri dish in the laboratory. Newer molecular tests that can detect staph DNA in a nasal swab sample within a few hours are now being increasingly used in clinical settings.
Treatment Options for MRSA
Medications and Surgical MRSA Treatment
It is important to have MRSA treated to prevent serious complications like MRSA bacteremia (bloodstream infections and sepsis). People with weak immune systems and other medical problems are at a particularly high risk of serious infections.
While methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is resistant to many antibiotics, it still responds to some oral antibiotics. These antibiotics are used to treat MRSA infections.
In addition, doctors can surgically drain large boils (abscesses) and follow it up with antibiotics. Antibiotic therapy isn’t always necessary. A small boil or abscess may be surgically drained without the need for antibiotic treatment.
What Antibiotics Are Used for MRSA Treatment?
Certain antibiotics are effective against MRSA staph bacteria, including:
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Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Bactrim DS, Septra, Septra DS)
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Intravenous (into a vein) vancomycin (Vancocin, Vancoled) Learn more about vancomycin side effects.
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Linezolid (Zyvox)
Antibiotics that do not typically work against MRSA strains include methicillin, penicillin, amoxicillin, oxacillin, nafcillin, and cephalosporins.
Managing Treatment and Lifestyle Adjustments
It is vital that you finish the course of prescribed antibiotics for MRSA, even if your symptoms are gone. Stopping treatment too soon or skipping doses can cause the staph infections to come back and be harder to treat in the future. Incomplete antibiotic treatment also contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
Find Savings On Your MRSA Treatments
Preventing MRSA Infections
Prevention Steps for Community-Associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) Infections
Here are some tips to prevent infection with MRSA:
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Wash your hands often with soap and water. Make sure you scrub for at least 20 seconds. Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer on you at all times to use if you’re unable to wash your hands.
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Keep an eye on all skin problems and wounds, including pimples, cuts, scrapes, and insect bites, which can resemble MRSA bumps. Seek medical care if the skin lesions are accompanied by fever and do not improve within 48 hours.
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Keep all cuts and scrapes clean and dry and covered with a bandage until they heal. Learn more about proper wound care.
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Don’t share personal items such as razors, toothbrushes, towels, sheets, or athletic equipment with others. MRSA spreads through skin-to-skin contact as well as contaminated objects.
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Shower immediately with soap and water after sports, athletic activities, and gym workouts.
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Wash all gym and athletic wear after each use.
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Wash and dry towels and linens on the hottest setting if you have any cuts or sores or skin problems.
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Do not touch other people’s wounds or infected tissue.
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Clean or disinfect high-touch surfaces and objects in the home frequently.
Precautions to Lower Risk of Hospital-Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA)
As mentioned, MRSA outbreaks often occur in healthcare facilities. Screening patients for MRSA upon admission to the hospital can help identify an active infection. People who are admitted to the hospital and have known MRSA colonization are often placed in isolation due to the higher risk of spread of MRSA in healthcare settings.
Healthcare providers follow strict hygiene protocols to lower the risk of healthcare-associated infections with MRSA and other infectious diseases. This includes washing hands with soap and water or using hand sanitizer after each encounter between a healthcare provider and patient.
In addition, surfaces, equipment, and laundry in healthcare facilities are disinfected and washed regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions about MRSA
Is MRSA Contagious?
Yes, MRSA is contagious. The infection spreads from person to person through skin-to-skin contact with infected sores and contaminated surfaces, though keep in mind that the primary transmission mode is direct skin-to-skin contact.
Can MRSA Be Cured Completely?
MRSA can be completely cured. While MRSA bacteria are resistant to many antibiotics and can be hard to treat, certain antibiotics still kill methicillin-resistant staph bacteria (MRSA) and can cure the infection.
How Serious Is MRSA?
MRSA can be serious and life-threatening or even fatal if left untreated. Certain people are at a higher risk of serious MRSA infections, such as someone with a weak immune system or a nursing home resident. In addition, those who carry MRSA long-term (for more than a year) are at risk of serious complications.
What Are 5 Ways A Person Can Catch MRSA?
Five ways a person can catch MRSA can be remembered as the 5 Cs:
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Crowded or unsanitary environment
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Frequent skin-to-skin contact
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Compromised skin (cuts, scrapes, insect bites, or rashes)
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Contaminated surfaces and objects
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Lack of cleanliness (not washing hands frequently)
How Does a Person Get MRSA?
A person can get MRSA through skin-to-skin contact with other people who have an active infection. A person can also get MRSA skin infections by touching contaminated objects and surfaces.
What Kills MRSA In The Body?
Certain antibiotics such as IV Vancocin (vancomycin), Bactrim (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole), and Zyvox (linezolid) can kill MRSA in the body. Healthcare providers use these antibiotics for MRSA treatment, along with surgical drainage of an abscess, if needed.
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