Guest guest Posted December 4, 2003 Report Share Posted December 4, 2003 Good idea. Most likely for friends also... On Thursday, December 4, 2003, at 11:54 PM, Palazola wrote: > MRSA is a very nasty bugger for people with CF. > Natalia post a huge sign, very visible, wash hands it prevents > complications! in big letters and red. Same thing with the hospital > room. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > MRSA - Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus > > > Fact Sheet > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received > > > inquiries about infections with antibiotic-resistant > > Staphylococcus > > > aureus (including methicillin-resistant S. aureus [MRSA]) among > > > persons who have no apparent contact with the healthcare system. > > This > > > fact sheet addresses some of the most frequently asked questions. > > > > > > What is Staphylococcus aureus? > > > > > > Staphylococcus aureus, often referred to simply as " staph, " are > > > bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy > > > people. Occasionally, staph can cause an infection; staph > bacteria > > > are one of the most common causes of skin infections in the > United > > > States. Most of these infections are minor (such as pimples and > > > boils) and most can be treated without antibiotics (also known as > > > antimicrobials or antibacterials). However, staph bacteria can > > also > > > cause serious infections (such as surgical wound infections and > > > pneumonia). In the past, most serious staph bacteria infections > > were > > > treated with a certain type of antibiotic related to penicillin. > > Over > > > the past 50 years, treatment of these infections has become more > > > difficult because staph bacteria have become resistant to various > > > antibiotics, including the commonly used penicillin-related > > > antibiotics (1). These resistant bacteria are called methicillin- > > > resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. > > > > > > Where are staph and MRSA found? > > > > > > Staph bacteria and MRSA can be found on the skin and in the nose > > of > > > some people without causing illness. Top > > > > > > What is the difference between colonization and infection? > > > > > > Colonization occurs when the staph bacteria are present on or in > > the > > > body without causing illness. Approximately 25 to 30% of the > > > population is colonized in the nose with staph bacteria at a > given > > > time (2). > > > Infection occurs when the staph bacteria cause disease in the > > person. > > > People also may be colonized or infected with MRSA, the staph > > > bacteria that are resistant to many antibiotics. Top > > > > > > Who gets MRSA? > > > > > > Staph bacteria can cause different kinds of illness, including > > skin > > > infections, bone infections, pneumonia, severe life-threatening > > > bloodstream infections, and others. Since MRSA is a staph > > bacterium, > > > it can cause the same kinds of infection as staph in general; > > > however, MRSA occurs more commonly among persons in hospitals and > > > healthcare facilities. > > > MRSA infection usually develops in hospitalized patients who are > > > elderly or very sick or who have an open wound (such as a > bedsore) > > or > > > a tube going into their body (such as a urinary catheter or > > > intravenous [iV] catheter). MRSA infections acquired in hospitals > > and > > > healthcare settings can be severe. In addition, certain factors > > can > > > put some patients at higher risk for MRSA including prolonged > > > hospital stay, receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics, being > > > hospitalized in an intensive care or burn unit, spending time > > close > > > to other patients with MRSA, having recent surgery, or carrying > > MRSA > > > in the nose without developing illness (3-6). > > > > > > MRSA causes illness in persons outside of hospitals and > healthcare > > > facilities as well. Cases of MRSA diseases in the community have > > been > > > associated with recent antibiotic use, sharing contaminated > items, > > > having active skin diseases, and living in crowded settings. > > Clusters > > > of skin infections caused by MRSA have been described among > > injecting > > > drug-users (7,8), aboriginals in Canada (9), New Zealand (10) or > > > Australia (11,12), Native Americans in the United States (13), > > > incarcerated persons (14), players of close-contact sports > (15,16) > > > and other populations (17-23). Community-associated MRSA > > infections > > > are typically skin infections, but also can cause severe illness > > as > > > in the cases of four children who died from community-associated > > MRSA > > > (24). Most of the transmission in these settings appeared to be > > from > > > people with active MRSA skin infections. Top > > > > > > How common is staph and MRSA? > > > > > > Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin > infection > > in > > > the United States, and are a common cause of pneumonia and > > > bloodstream infections. Staph and MRSA infections are not > > routinely > > > reported to public health authorities, so a precise number is not > > > known. According to some estimates, as many as 100,000 persons > are > > > hospitalized each year with MRSA infections, although only a > small > > > proportion of these persons have disease onset occurring in the > > > community. Approximately 25 to 30% of the population is colonized > > in > > > the nose with staph bacteria at a given time (2). The numbers who > > are > > > colonized with MRSA at any one time is not known. CDC is > currently > > > collaborating with state and local health departments to improve > > > surveillance for MRSA. Active, population-based surveillance in > > > selected regions of the United States is ongoing and will help > > > characterize the scope and risk factors for MRSA in the > community. > > Top > > > > > > Are staph and MRSA infections treatable? > > > > > > Yes. Most staph bacteria and MRSA are susceptible to several > > > antibiotics. Furthermore, most staph skin infections can be > > treated > > > without antibiotics by draining the sore. However, if antibiotics > > are > > > prescribed, patients should complete the full course and call > > their > > > doctors if the infection does not get better. Patients who are > > only > > > colonized with staph bacteria or MRSA usually do not need > > treatment. > > > Top > > > > > > How are staph and MRSA spread? > > > > > > Staph bacteria and MRSA can spread among people having close > > contact > > > with infected people. MRSA is almost always spread by direct > > physical > > > contact, and not through the air. Spread may also occur through > > > indirect contact by touching objects (i.e., towels, sheets, wound > > > dressings, clothes, workout areas, sports equipment) contaminated > > by > > > the infected skin of a person with MRSA or staph bacteria. Top > > > > > > How can I prevent staph or MRSA infections? > > > > > > Practice good hygiene > > > > > > 1. Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water > > > > > > 2. Keep cuts and abrasions clean and covered with a proper > > dressing > > > (e.g., bandage) until healed > > > > > > 3. Avoid contact with other people's wounds or material > > contaminated > > > from wounds. > > > > > > What should I do if I think I have a Staph or MRSA infection? > > > > > > See your healthcare provider. > > > > > > What is CDC doing to address MRSA in the community? > > > > > > CDC is concerned about MRSA in communities and is working with > > > multiple partners on prevention strategies. > > > > > > CDC is working with 4 states in a project to define the spectrum > > of > > > disease, determine populations affected, and developing studies > to > > > define who is at particular risk for infection > > > CDC is working with state health departments to assist in the > > > development of surveillance systems for tracking MRSA in the > > > community > > > CDC is using the National Health and Nutritional Evaluation > Survey > > > (NHANES) to estimate the number of individuals in the United > > States > > > who carry staph bacteria in their nose > > > CDC works with laboratories across the country to improve the > > > detection of MRSA through training personnel and use of > > appropriate > > > testing methods > > > CDC provides technical expertise to hospitals and state and local > > > health departments on infection control in healthcare settings, > > > including control of MRSA > > > CDC laboratories are working to characterize the unique features > > of > > > MRSA strains from the community. > > > Top > > > > > > > > > References: > > > 1. Lowry FD. Staphylococcus aureus infections. New England > Journal > > of > > > Medicine. 1998;339:520-32. > > > 2. Kluytmans J, Van Belkum A, Verbrugh H. Nasal carriage of > > > Staphylococcus aureus: epidemiology, underlying mechanisms, and > > > associated risks. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1997;10:505-20. > > > 3. Boyce JM. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. > > Detection, > > > epidemiology, and control measures. Infect Dis Clinics of North > > Am. > > > 1989;3:901-13. > > > 4. Herwaldt LA. Control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus > > > aureus in the hospital setting. Am J Medicine. 1999;106:11S-18S; > > > discussion 48S-52S. > > > 5. Asensio A, Guerrero A, Quereda C, Lizan M, ez-Ferrer M. > > > Colonization and infection with methicillin-resistant > > Staphylococcus > > > aureus: associated factors and eradication. Infec Control Hosp > > > Epidemiol. 1996;17:20-8. > > > 6. Mulligan ME, Murray-Leisure KA, Ribner BD, et al. Methicillin- > > > resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a consensus review of the > > > microbiology, pathogenesis, and epidemiology with implications > for > > > prevention and management. Am J Medicine. 1993;94:313-28. > > > 7. Saravolatz LD, Markowitz N, Arking L, Pohloh D, Fisher E. > > > Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Epidemiologic > > > oberservations during a community-acquired outbreak. ls of > > > Internal Medicine. 1982;96:11-16. > > > 8. CDC. Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus > > > aureus infections—Michigan. MMWR. 1981;30:185-7. > > > 9. Embil J, Ramotar K, Romance L, et al. Methicillin-resistant > > > Staphylococcus aureus in tertiary care institutions on the > > Canadian > > > prairies 1990-1992. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology > > 1994; > > > 15:646-51. > > > 10. Rings T, Findlay R, Lang S. Ethnicity and methicillin- > > resistant > > > S. aureus in South Auckland. New Zealand Medical Journal 1998; > > > 111:151. > > > 11. Maguire GP, Arthur AD, Boustead PJ, Dwyer B, Currie BJ. > > Emerging > > > epidemic of community-acquired methicillin-resistant > > Staphylococcus > > > aureus infection in the Northern Territory. Medical Journal of > > > Australia 1996; 1996; 164:721-3. > > > 12. Collignon P, Gosbell I, Vickery A, Nimmo G, Stylianopoulos T, > > > Gottlieb T. Community-acquired methicillin-resistant > > Staphylococcus > > > aureus in Australia. Australian Group on Antimicrobial > Resistance. > > > Lancet 1998; 352:145-6. > > > 13. Groos A, Naimi T, Wolset D, - K, K, Cheek > J. > > > Emergence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant > > Staphylococcus > > > aureus in a rural American Indian community (Abstract 1230), 39th > > > Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and > > > Chemotherapy, San Francisco, CA, 1999. > > > 14. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin or soft > > tissue > > > infections in a state prison—Mississippi, 2000. MMWR 2001 Oct. > 26. > > 50 > > > (42); 919-922. > > > 15. Lindenmayer JM, Schoenfeld S, O'Grady R, Carney JK. > > Methicillin- > > > resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a high school wrestling team > > and > > > the surrounding community. Archives of Internal Medicine 1998; > > > 158:895-9. > > > 16. Stacey AR, Endersby KE, Chan PC, Marples RR. An outbreak of > > > methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in a rugby > > > football team. British Journal of Sports Medicine 1998; 332: 153- > 4. > > > 17. Kallen AJ, Driscoll TJ, Thornton S, Olson PE, Wallace MR. > > > Increase in community-acquired methicillin-resistant > > Staphylococcus > > > aureus at a Naval Medical Center. Infection Control and Hospital > > > Epidemiology 2000; 21: 223-6 > > > 18. Hussain FM, Boyle-Vavra S, Bethel CD, Daum RS. Current trends > > in > > > community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at > > a > > > tertiary care pediatric facility. Pediatric Infectious Disease > > > Journal 2000; 19: 1163-6. > > > 19. Feder HM, Jr. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus > > > infections in 2 pediatric outpatients. Archives of Family > Medicine > > > 2000; 1163-6. > > > 20. Goetz A, Posey K, Fleming J, et al. Methicillin-resistant > > > Staphylococcus aureus in the community: a hospital-based study. > > > Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology 1999; 20: 689-91. > > > 21. AL, Marcinak JK, Mangat PD, Schreckenberger PC. > > Community- > > > acquired and clindamycin-susceptible methicillin-resistant > > > Staphylococcus aureus in children. Pediatric Infectious Disease > > > Journal 1999; 18:993-1000. > > > 22. Price MF, McBride ME, Wolf JE, Jr., Prevalence of methicillin- > > > resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a dermatology outpatient > > > population. Southern Medical Journal 1998: 91:369-71. > > > 23. Herold BC, Immergluck LC, Maranan MC, et al. Community- > > acquired > > > methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in children with no > > > identified predisposing risk. JAMA 1998; 279:593-8. > > > 24. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four > > > pediatric deaths from community-acquired methicillin-resistant > > > Staphylococcus aureus—Minnesota and North Dakota, 1997-1999. JAMA > > > 1999; 282: 1123-5 > > <image.tiff> > > > ------------------------------------------- > The opinions and information exchanged on this list should IN NO WAY > be construed as medical advice. > > PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE CHANGING ANY MEDICATIONS OR > TREATMENTS. > > ------------------------------------ > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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