MRSA! Oh my!!

Nikolai's pediatrician called me Thursday to tell me that Nikolai has MRSA. I had taken him in on Monday with a leg infection. I suspected it was staph since it looked like what Deniska had had last summer. They took a culture, grew it, and then did a sensitivity test on it to determine what medicine to prescribe. She, fortunately, had given him the correct medication for it and everything now looks good. I wasn't too concerned until I talked to lady today whose son is extremely sick with MRSA and I started researching MRSA and now I am very concerned, not only for Nikolai but for our entire family and friends. I am not sure if Nikolai has hospital-associated MRSA or community-associated MRSA. I know that the doctor said if he got another infection, that he might be a carrier and she would have to treat him for that. He did have surgery the first part of June and I wonder if he contracted the germ in the hospital. Please join us in prayers that this will be the only outbreak and he, nor Deniska, will not be affected by this terrible disease.

MRSA(Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)

Staphylococcus aureus , often called “staph”, is a common type of bacteria that can be found in the nose and on the skin of about one out of every three people. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also called MRSA, are staph that are not killed by many of the antibiotics doctors used to prescribe most commonly for staph infections. Until the mid-1990s, MRSA mainly affected patients in hospitals and other health care settings. Since that time, a new strain of MRSA has emerged. This new strain is called community-associated MRSA, and has rapidly become one of the most common causes of skin and soft tissue infections among otherwise healthy people in the community.

Skin infections occur when the bacteria get in through small scrapes or cuts, sometimes too small to notice. The infected area usually begins with a red bump that resembles a pimple or insect bite. If untreated, the lesion may become hard and painful or may drain pus (often called a “boil” or a skin abscess). Unlike hospital-associated MRSA, most community-associated MRSA infections can be treated with several types of antibiotics, including some that can be taken by mouth. Not all MRSA skin infections require antibiotics; treatment decisions should be made by a doctor or other licensed healthcare provider. Occasionally, community-associated MRSA can cause blood stream infections, joint infections, pneumonia, or other severe infections in an otherwise well person.

MRSA is most often spread through direct physical contact with an infected person. Draining lesions are highly infectious and represent an important source of spread. MRSA can also be spread by touching objects that have been soiled with drainage from an infected wound- e.g., bandages, towels, or athletic equipment- although this is less common than direct person-to-person spread. Outbreaks of MRSA have occurred within households, on sports teams, in prisons, in daycare centers, and in other settings where people have close contact or share equipment and personal items.

To prevent MRSA skin infections, practice good hygiene:

Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Wash any cut or break in the skin with soap and water and apply a clean bandage daily.

Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.

Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.

If you have symptoms of MRSA, see your doctor:
Keep draining wounds clean and covered.
Wash your hands and forearms before and after caring for the wound and frequently throughout the day. Use soap and warm water for 15 seconds and dry your hands on a clean towel or paper towel.
Take all antibiotics as prescribed
Report new skin sores or boils to your doctor immediately.