MRSA Infection (cont.)
How is MRSA diagnosed?
A skin sample, pus on the skin, or blood, urine, or biopsy material (tissue
sample) is sent to a microbiology lab and cultured for S. aureus. If S. aureus
is isolated (grown on a Petri plate), the bacteria are then exposed to different
antibiotics including methicillin. S. aureus that grows well when methicillin is
in the culture are termed MRSA, and the patient is diagnosed as MRSA-infected.
The same procedure is done to determine if someone is an MRSA carrier (screening
for a carrier), but sample skin or mucous membrane sites are only swabbed, not
biopsied.
In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a rapid blood test that can detect the presence of MRSA genetic material in a blood sample in as little as two hours. The test is also able to determine whether the genetic material is from MRSA or from less dangerous Staph bacteria. The test is not recommended for use in monitoring treatment of MRSA infections and should not be used as the only basis for the diagnosis of a MRSA infection.
How can people prevent MRSA infection?
Not making direct contact with skin, clothing, and any items that come in
contact with either MRSA patients or MRSA carriers is the best way to avoid MRSA
infection. In many instances, this situation is simply not practical because
such infected individuals or carriers are not immediately identifiable. What
people can do is to treat and cover (for example, antiseptic cream and a Band-Aid) any
skin breaks and use excellent hygiene practices (for example, hand washing with
soap after personal contact or toilet use, washing clothes potentially in
contact with MRSA patients or carriers, using disposable items when treating
MRSA patients). Also available at most stores are antiseptic solutions and wipes
to both clean hands and surfaces that may contact MRSA. Pregnant individuals
need to consult with their doctors if they are infected or are carriers of MRSA.
Although MRSA is not transmitted to infants by breastfeeding, there are a few
reports that infants can be infected by their mothers who have MRSA, but this
seems to be an infrequent situation. Some pregnant MRSA carriers have been
successfully treated with the antibiotic mupirocin cream.
Can people die from MRSA infections?
Yes. Currently available statistics from the Kaiser foundation in 2007
(http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=45809) indicate
that about 1.2 million hospitalized patients have MRSA, and the mortality rate
is estimated to be between 4%-10%. In general, CA-MRSA has far less risk as long
as the patient does well with treatment and does not require hospitalization.
Next: If MRSA is so resistant to many antibiotics, how is it treated or cured? »
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