| MRSA infection
Introduction
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA) infection is caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria — often
called "staph."
Decades ago, a strain of staph emerged
in hospitals that was resistant to the broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly
used to treat it. Dubbed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA),
it was one of the first germs to outwit all but the most powerful drugs.
MRSA infection can be fatal.
Staph bacteria are normally found on
the skin or in the nose of about one-third of the population. If you have
staph on your skin or in your nose but aren't sick, you are said to be
"colonized" but not infected with MRSA. Healthy people can be colonized
with MRSA and have no ill effects. However, they can pass the germ to others.
Staph bacteria are generally harmless
unless they enter the body through a cut or other wound, and even then
they often cause only minor skin problems in healthy people. But in older
adults and people who are ill or have weakened immune systems, ordinary
staph infections can cause serious illness.
In the 1990s, a type of MRSA began
showing up in the wider community. Today, that form of staph, known as
community-associated MRSA, or CA-MRSA, is responsible for many serious
skin and soft tissue infections and for a serious form of pneumonia.
Causes
Although the survival tactics of bacteria
contribute to antibiotic resistance, humans bear most of the responsibility
for the problem. Leading causes of antibiotic resistance include:
· Unnecessary antibiotic
use in humans. Like other superbugs, MRSA is the result of decades of excessive
and unnecessary antibiotic use. For years, antibiotics have been prescribed
for colds, flu and other viral infections that don't respond to these drugs,
as well as for simple bacterial infections that normally clear on their
own.
· Antibiotics in
food and water. Prescription drugs aren't the only source of antibiotics.
In the United States, antibiotics can be found in beef cattle, pigs and
chickens. The same antibiotics then find their way into municipal water
systems when the runoff from feedlots contaminates streams and groundwater.
Routine feeding of antibiotics to animals is banned in the European Union
and many other industrialized countries. Antibiotics given in the proper
doses to animals who are sick don't appear to produce resistant bacteria.
· Germ mutation.
Even when antibiotics are used appropriately, they contribute to the rise
of drug resistant bacteria because they don't destroy every germ they target.
Bacteria live on an evolutionary fast track, so germs that survive treatment
with one antibiotic soon learn to resist others. And because bacteria mutate
much more quickly than new drugs can be produced, some germs end up resistant
to just about everything. That's why only a handful of drugs are now effective
against most forms of staph.
Treatment
Both hospital and community associated
strains of MRSA still respond to certain medications. In hospitals and
care facilities, doctors generally rely on the antibiotic vancomycin to
treat resistant germs. CA-MRSA may be treated with vancomycin or other
antibiotics that have proved effective against particular strains. Although
vancomycin saves lives, it may grow resistant as well; some hospitals are
already seeing outbreaks of vancomycin-resistant MRSA. To help reduce that
threat, doctors may drain an abscess caused by MRSA rather than treat the
infection with drugs.
| Treatment
& Side Effects of Vancomycin
Powerful drugs like Vancomycin often
have serious side effects. If your only choices are between probably
dying and the risk of the side effects the decision is quite easy.
However, if the use of ionic silver has strengthened your immune system,
you could possibly be one of the many who are exposed to MRSA but are not
affected.
The following are excerpts from the
web site of netdoctor.co.uk
For more complete information about
Vancomycin click here.
| Vancomycin
Injection
How does it work?
Vancomycin belongs to a group of antibiotics
called glycopeptides. Bacteria have an external cell wall that is reinforced
by molecules called peptidoglycans. The cell wall is vital for protection
against the normal environment of the body in which the bacteria live.
Vancomycin works by blocking the formation
of these peptidoglycans. By doing this the walls of the bacteria become
weak and it results in the death of the bacteria.
Vancomycin injection is used to treat
serious infections of the body including infections of the heart and blood.
What is it used for?
* Inflammation of
the lining of the heart cavity and heart valves due to infection (endocarditis)
* Prevention of infection
(usually after surgery)
* Severe infections
* Treatment of serious
staphylococcal bacterial infections
Warning!
* Monitoring is
required to check the levels of this medicine in the body.
* Monitoring of kidney
and ear function should be carried out regularly whilst taking this medicine.
* It is recommended
that regular blood tests are performed to check levels of the blood components.
Use with caution in
* Decreased kidney
function
* Elderly people
* History of hearing
problems
Side effects
Medicines and their possible side effects
can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some
of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine.
Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people
using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
* Rash
* Itching (pruritus)
* Nausea
* Blood disorders
* Fever (pyrexia)
* Pain and inflammation
of the blood vessel at the site of injection
* Kidney damage
* An extreme allergic
reaction (anaphylaxis)
* Hearing problems
(ototoxicity)
* Kidney failure
* Flushing
The side effects listed above may not
include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer. |
|
Prevention
Hospitals are fighting back against
MRSA infection by using surveillance systems that track bacterial outbreaks
and by investing in products such as antibiotic-coated catheters and gloves
that release disinfectants.
Still, the best way to prevent the spread
of germs is for health care workers to wash their hands frequently, to
properly disinfect hospital surfaces and to take other precautions such
as wearing a mask when working with people with weakened immune systems.
In the hospital, people who are infected
or colonized with MRSA are placed in isolation to prevent the spread of
MRSA to other patients and healthcare workers. Visitors and healthcare
workers caring for isolated patients may be required to wear protective
garments and must follow strict handwashing procedures.
What you can do in the
hospital
Here's what you can do to protect yourself,
family members or friends from hospital-acquired infections.
· Ask all hospital
staff to wash their hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before
touching you — every time.
· Wash your own
hands frequently.
· Make sure that
intravenous tubes and catheters are inserted under sterile conditions,
for example, the person inserting them wears a mask and sterilizes your
skin first.
What you can do in your
community
Protecting yourself from MRSA in your
community — which might be just about anywhere — may seem daunting, but
these common-sense precautions can help reduce your risk:
· Wash your hands.
Careful hand washing remains your best defense against germs. Scrub hands
briskly for at least 15 seconds, then dry them with a disposable towel
and use another towel to turn off the faucet. Carry a small bottle of hand
sanitizer containing at least 62 percent alcohol for times when you don't
have access to soap and water.
· Keep personal
items personal. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, sheets, razors,
clothing and athletic equipment. MRSA spreads on contaminated objects as
well as through direct contact.
· Keep wounds covered.
Keep cuts and abrasions clean and covered with sterile, dry bandages until
they heal. The pus from infected sores may contain MRSA, and keeping wounds
covered will help keep the bacteria from spreading.
· Shower after athletic
games or practices. Shower immediately after each game or practice. Use
soap and water. Don't share towels.
· Sit out athletic
games or practices if you have a concerning infection. If you have a wound
that's draining or appears infected — for example is red, swollen, warm
to the touch or tender — consider sitting out athletic games or practices
until the wound has healed.
· Sanitize linens.
If you have a cut or sore, wash towels and bed linens in a washing machine
set to the "hot" water setting (with added bleach, if possible) and dry
them in a hot dryer. Wash gym and athletic clothes after each wearing.
· Get tested. If
you have a skin infection that requires treatment, ask your doctor if you
should be tested for MRSA. Doctors may prescribe drugs that aren't effective
against antibiotic-resistant staph, which delays treatment and creates
more resistant germs. Testing specifically for MRSA may get you the specific
antibiotic you need to effectively treat your infection.
· Use antibiotics
appropriately. When you're prescribed an antibiotic, take all of the doses,
even if the infection is getting better. Don't stop until your doctor tells
you to stop. Don't share antibiotics with others or save unfinished antibiotics
for another time. Inappropriate use of antibiotics, including not taking
all of your prescription and overuse, contributes to resistance. If your
infection isn't improving after a few days of taking an antibiotic, contact
your doctor. |
