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Tuesday, July 8, 2008

MRSA - Superbug



A new antibiotic- resistant form of the bacteria has been identified
in rising numbers of young and healthy people in the United States, marking the emergence of a new public health threat.



Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, also known as community-acquired MRSA. It is an easily transmissible and can lead to serious skin infections. MRSA has been an ongoing and serious problem in many health related settings around the world for more than 30 years. MRSA is resistant to methicillin and other antibiotics typically used to treat common staph infections and is usually found in people who were recently hospitalized or spent time in a health care setting.

MRSA can cause a skin infection with redness and swelling, possibly resulting in boils, blisters or abscesses. An infection can be treated with alternative antibiotics or by draining the skin wound. While most community-acquired MRSA infections are mild, severe invasive conditions such as pneumonia and necrotizing fasciitis have resulted.

MRSA infections occur in otherwise healthy people who have not been recently (within the past year) hospitalized or had a medical procedure (such as dialysis, surgery, catheters) are known as community-associated (CA)-MRSA infections. According to the CDC, 25 to 30% of the population carry the staph bacteria.

If you feel you have MRSA:

1. Evaluate skin lesion for underlying abscess formation, crepitus, fluctuance and sinus drainage.
2. Prevention Strategies : clean any fresh wounds (e.g. lacerations and abrasions) thoroughly.

3. To reduce person-to-person spread, educate MRSA-infected or colonized patients regarding good hand hygiene.

4. Reduce as much as possible use of shared objects, such as athletic equipment, towels, and personal items such as razors; and wash towels and sheets frequently in hot water.

5. Encourage employees to wash hands frequently, and clean and protect any open wounds to avoid transmission.

For more information please see MRSA links in the health and wellness section on this page. MRSA is a serious infection, please take it seriously.