Help with MRSA

[stogdell at earthlink.net]

>   wtd1 at postoffice.ptd.net (William T Dixon) writes:
>  I have a relative that was told they have MRSA. What is it? Any and all 
>  info would be appriciated? Thanks in advance.
>  
>  bill wtd1 at prolog.net
>  
>  
>>>>
MRSA stands for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.  Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria.  Methicillin is an antibiotic.  
MRSA is Staphylococcus aureus organisms  which are resistant to methecillin (so this antibiotic will not kill the bacteria).  Most 
Staphylococcus aureus strains are suceptible to methecillin and therefore will be killed by methicillin.  Staphylococcus aureus is 
considered to be pathogenic (disease causing) to humans.  It can cause life-threatening infections.  However, many people are 
perfectly healthy and are carrying Staphylococcus aureus around in their bodies with no ill affects from the bacteria.  The 
Staphylococcus aureus may reside in the intestines of these people for an example.  Staphlococcus aureus may just be 
"hanging-around" in the body just waiting for your body to become weak so that it can cause an infection.  Most of the time your 
own body wages a successful war against invasion by Staphylococcus aureus infections.  However, some conditions may weaken 
our body and allow an infection to start.  Examples would be trauma to the body, surgical procedures or conditions which decrease 
our immune response.  Examples of these conditions may be old age, leukemia, medications, HIV infection, diabetes. etc.  When 
Staphylococcus aureus overcomes our immune response and causes an infection, physicians can give us antibiotics.  This 
treatment often "cures" the infection.  Without antibiotics humans can die from a Staphylococcus aureus infection.  Like all living 
things, Staphylococcus aureus organisms try to survice their harsh environment.  Some strains have become resistant to antibiotics 
which have been used in the past to fight infections.  An example of this adaptation is MRSA.  MRSA is now resistant to many of the 
commonly used antibiotics.  Physicians must use newer antibiotics which may be more expensive and have more side-effects than 
the older types of antibiotics.  The fear is that some day no know antibiotic will kill these strains of organisms.  A person with MRSA 
does not necessarily have a life-threatening condition.  A person may walk around perfectly healthy and carry the MRSA.  However, 
if the MRSA organisms do cause a bad infection (say their appendix ruptures) then the physician could have trouble curing the 
infection.  It is sort of like a ticking bomb that may or may not go off.  In order to prevent this "bomb" from spreading throughout the 
community patients with MRSA are often put in "isolation" in hospitals and nursing homes.  Signs indicationg "isolation" are often 
embarassing or scare people who do not understand.  People working with these patients follow precautionary procedures to ensure 
no further spread of this organism.  I hope this helped.  E-mail me if I have confused you.

				Gail Stogdell    MT(ASCP)                                        stogdell at earthlink.net