What is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)?

MRSA (say "MER-suh") stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is a type of bacteria that can cause staph infections.

Staph bacteria normally live on your skin and in your nose, usually without causing problems. Sometimes the bacteria cause infection. Usually you can treat this infection with antibiotics.

But MRSA infections are harder to treat than infections caused by other bacteria. This is because antibiotics, such as methicillin, may not be able to kill MRSA. For some people, especially those who have a weakened immune system or other health conditions, MRSA infections can become serious.

MRSA can spread from person to person. It is commonly spread from the hands of someone who has MRSA. This could be anyone in a health care setting or in the community.

MRSA is more likely to develop when antibiotics are used too often. Over time, bacteria can change and become resistant to treatment with these antibiotics so they no longer work well.

How is it spread?

MRSA can be spread from one person to another through casual contact or through contaminated objects. It is commonly spread from the hands of someone who has MRSA. This could be anyone in a health care setting or in the community. MRSA is usually not spread through the air like the common cold or flu virus, unless a person has MRSA pneumonia and is coughing.

MRSA that is acquired in a hospital or health care setting is called healthcare-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA). In most cases, a person who is already sick or who has a weakened immune system becomes infected with HA-MRSA. These infections can occur on skin, in wounds and burns, or on other site where tubes (such as an I.V.) enter the body. They also can happen in the eyes, bones, heart, or blood.

In the past, MRSA infected people who had chronic illnesses. But now MRSA has become more common in healthy people. These infections can occur among people who have scratches, cuts, or wounds and who have close contact with one another, such as members of sports teams. This type of MRSA is called community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA).

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of a MRSA infection depend on where the infection is. If MRSA is causing an infection in a wound, that area of your skin may be red or tender. If you have pneumonia, you may develop a cough.

Community-associated MRSA commonly causes skin infections, such as boils, abscesses, or cellulitis. Often, people think they have been bitten by a spider or insect. Because MRSA infections can become serious in a short amount of time, it is important to see your doctor right away if you notice a boil or other skin problem.

How is it diagnosed?

If your doctor thinks that you are infected with MRSA, a sample of your infected wound, blood, or urine will be sent to a lab. The lab will grow the bacteria and then test to see which kinds of antibiotics kill the bacteria. This test may take several days.

You may also be tested if your doctor thinks that you may be a MRSA carrier. A MRSA carrier is a person who has the bacteria living on the skin and in the nose but who is not sick. This test is done by taking a sample with a swab from the inside of the nose.

How is a MRSA infection treated?

Your doctor may:

• Drain your wound.
• Give you antibiotics as pills or through a needle put in your vein (intravenous, I.V.). If your doctor prescribed antibiotic pills, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
• Give you an ointment to put on your skin or inside your nose.
• Have you wash your skin daily with an antiseptic soap.

You may have to stay in the hospital for treatment. In the hospital, you may be kept apart from others to reduce the chances of spreading the bacteria. When your doctors and nurses are caring for you, they may take special care, such as wearing gloves and gowns. If you have a MRSA pneumonia, they may also wear masks.

How can you prevent it?

As more antibiotic-resistant bacteria develop, hospitals are taking extra care to practice infection control, which includes frequent hand-washing and isolation of patients who are infected with MRSA.

You can also take steps to protect yourself from MRSA.

Practice good hygiene

• Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and clean, running water. You can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Hand-washing is the best way to avoid spreading germs.
• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage. Avoid contact with other people's wounds or bandages.
• Do not share personal items such as towels or razors.
• If you are in the hospital, remind doctors and nurses to wash their hands before they touch you.

Use antibiotics wisely

• Always ask your doctor if antibiotics are the best treatment. They can help treat bacterial infections, but they can't cure viral infections.
• If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics. Using only part of the medicine may cause antibiotic-resistant bacteria to develop.
• Do not save any antibiotics, and do not use antibiotics that were prescribed for someone else.

Don't spread an infection

• Cover your wound with clean, dry bandages. And follow your doctor's instructions on caring for your wound.
• Keep your hands clean. You and other people who you are in close contact with should wash their hands often, especially after changing a bandage or touching a wound.
• Do not share towels, washcloths, razors, clothing, or other items that touched your wound or bandage. Wash your sheets, towels, and clothes with warm water and detergent and dry them in a hot dryer, if possible.
• Keep shared areas clean. Use a disinfectant to wipe surfaces that other people touch. These include countertops, doorknobs, and light switches.

If you need to go to the hospital for some reason, and you have staph bacteria living on your skin or in your nose, you may be treated to try to prevent getting or spreading a MRSA infection. You may be given an ointment to put on your skin or inside your nose. And you need to wash your skin daily with a special soap that can get rid of the bacteria.