Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

MRSA has been featured in the news and on television programs a great deal recently. MRSA stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This type of bacteria causes “staph” infections that are resistant to treatment with usual antibiotics.

MRSA occurs most frequently among patients who undergo invasive medical procedures or who have weakened immune systems and are being treated in hospitals and healthcare facilities such as nursing homes and dialysis centers.

In addition to healthcare associated infections, MRSA can also infect people in the community at large, generally as skin infections that may look like pimples or boils and can be swollen, painful and have draining pus. These skin infections commonly occur at sites of visible skin trauma, such as cuts and abrasions, and areas of the body covered by hair. Almost all MRSA skin infections can be effectively treated by drainage of pus with or without antibiotics. These skin infections often occur in otherwise healthy people.

In hospitals, the most important reservoirs of MRSA are infected or colonized patients. Hospital personnel have been commonly identified as a link for transmission between colonized or infected patients. The main mode of transmission of MRSA is via hands which may become contaminated by contact with a) colonized or infected patients, b) colonized or infected body sites of healthcare workers, or c) devices, items, or environmental surfaces contaminated with body fluids containing MRSA.

Some settings, such as schools, dormitories, military barracks, households, correctional facilities, and daycare centers have factors that make it easier for MRSA to be transmitted. These factors, referred to as the 5 C’s are: Crowding, frequent skin-to-skin Contact, Compromised skin (i.e., cuts or abrasions), Contaminated items and surfaces, and lack of Cleanliness.

MRSA infection can be avoided by practicing good hand hygiene by washing hands or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, covering open areas on the skin with a clean dry bandage, avoiding sharing of personal items that come in contact with bare skin, and establishing cleaning procedures for frequently touched surfaces and surfaces that come in direct contact with people’s skin.

In the healthcare setting, practicing Standard Precautions and using personal protective equipment such as gloves and gowns help to control the spread of MRSA. Contact Precautions is used for patients who are infected or colonized with MRSA.

You can protect yourself from MRSA infection by practicing good hygiene which includes hand washing for 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, use clean dry bandages on skin trauma such as abrasions or cuts, avoiding sharing personal items, and avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)