Abstract
Hospital settings have harbored a disease-causing organism called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) since the 1960s. However, hospitals aren’t the only settings at risk of a MRSA outbreak. In recent years’ healthy communities have seen a genetically distinct strain of MRSA, called community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). Although this organism has been less resistant to antibiotics, it is more virulent and capable of causing illnesses (Alex & Letizia, 2007). The community should be aware of the risk factors for this infection and understand its signs, symptoms, and management.
Keywords: community-acquired MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, risk factors for CA-MRSA
Staphylococcus aureus: Potential danger in the community Staphylococcus aureus, a microorganism, is the leading cause of today’s infection in the hospital setting in the US. The optimal growth conditions consist of moist, warm, dark environments. On humans, it is usually found in the nares, groin, and axilla. In 1941, the antibiotic penicillin was discovered and was used to treat S. aureus infections. This
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Risk factors of CA-MRSA include: skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, loss of integrity allowing penetration of bacteria into the body, contact with contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions, sharing personal items, poor hygiene, having a history of ectopic dermatitis, and exposure to family members or friends who work in a health care setting. Also, there are a number of risk factors for CA-MRSA among student athletes including: playing close contact sports, receiving a skin abrasion and trauma, a high BMI, participating in cosmetic body shaving, coming into contact with a draining lesion or is a carrier of MRSA, and sharing contaminated equipment (Alex & Letizia,
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or more commonly, MRSA, is an emerging infectious disease affecting many people worldwide. MRSA, in particular, is a very interesting disease because although many people can be carriers of it, it generally only affects those with a depressed immune system; this is why it is so prevalent in places like nursing homes and hospitals. It can be spread though surgeries, artificial joints, tubing, and skin-to-skin contact. Although there is not one specific treatment of this disease, there are ways to test what antibiotics work best and sometimes antibiotics aren’t even necessary.
Describe methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and its implications for patients who are diagnosed with this.
MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) is one of the most recent superbugs to become a health problem. MRSA is a species of Staphylococcus Aureus that is resistant to the antibiotic methicillin and antibiotics like it. Doctors are struggling to find proper treatment because of its resistance to the beta-lactam ring, the core of most antibiotics. The most lethal strain is the CC398 strain, most commonly found on livestock. There are approximately 80,000 invasive MRSA infections and 11,000 deaths every year. (CNN.com)
Historically MRSA infections have been confined to hospitals and infected those that generally were very sick to begin with. In recent years, MRSA has started to become prevalent in healthy individuals; specifically those on high school and collegiate sports teams. Studies have shown that the rates among athletes tend to be higher in contact sports like football and wrestling (Buss, 2014). The rates also seem to be higher than in the past due to the lack of policy regarding the infections and lack of people following through on the policies in place (Fritz, 2012). MRSA can be prevented for student athletes, especially if those around them are committed to doing what they can to protect the health of the students.
endocarditis, impetigo, osteomyelitis, pneumonia, and septicemia.” Treatment usually includes bed rest, analgesics, and an anti-microbial drug that is resistant to penicillinase, an enzyme secreted by many species of staphylococcus. This writer will discuss the history of MRSA, article reviewed, community described in article, means to address the problem, and ethical
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2016) "MRSA can cause severe problems such as bloodstream infections, pneumonia and surgical site infections. If not treated quickly, MRSA infections can cause sepsis and death” (para. 1). Elderly and individuals with depleted immunity (Mayo Clinic, 2016), patients in intensive care units (ICUs) where the antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use are the highest (Ma et al., 2015, p. 1), nursing home (NH) residents, and patients with indwelling devices are the most vulnerable population for the MRSA infection (Mayo Clinic, 2016). MRSA infections can put financial and physical strains to the healthcare system as observed by Hanna (2011), “MRSA costs the US healthcare system up to $34 billion a year and accounts for over 8 million additional hospital
Prevention efforts in a variety of healthcare settings have been shown to significantly decrease healthcare associated MRSA. However, the frequency of hand hygiene and the consistent use of contact precautions are often found to be inadequate or improperly implemented (Yamakawa et al., 2011).
MRSA can cause a variety of infections ranging from non-invasive skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) (i.e. furuncles, abscesses, and folliculitis) to invasive infections such a bacteremia, meningitis, and osteomyelitis. Historically, MRSA infections have been categorized into two specific types: healthcare-associated (HA-MRSA) and community-associated (CA-MRSA) based on clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory criteria. These definitions have continued to evolve, and now, at least three MRSA categories are accepted which describe the epidemiological etiology of the infection. First,
When Penicillin was first introduced in the early 1940’s to treat bacterial infection, resistance strains of Staphylococcus Aureus were completely unidentified. However, only a decade later, the disease was already becoming very common in hospital environments. Because of this, Methicillin was introduced in 1961 to medicate these resistance strains, yet within a single year, doctors were already encountering Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a pathogen that causes many complicated health infections in our body. It’s a type of s. aureus bacteria that can produced by process of resistance to many antibiotics such as dicloxacillin, oxacillin, and methicillin. Why is MRSA so dangerous? Its natural ability is to continue transforming in ways to prevent from antibiotic from being completely successful in the batter against MRSA. The US had spent billions of dollar every year into research in order to prevent it from further spreading. In order to do so, we must step up to advance our technology and knowledge to be able to defeat the bacterial warfare. This research will discuss the prevalence and different factors of the disease, it
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (as cited in Upshaw-Owens & Bailey, 2012) MRSA-related infections have risen from 2% of S.aureus infections in 1974 to 64% in 2004. In the United States 46% of S.aureus cases are Methicillin resistant. The rise in infection rates is alarming and
The most pervasive anti-toxin safe disease that must be considered and comprehend in the current world is the "Methicillin-safe Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) contamination". It is caused by a strain of Staphylococcus microbes that have created impervious to the basic anti-microbial for treating ordinary staphylococcic aureus disease. This anti-microbial safe contamination happened in patients living in doctor's facilities. The MRSA disease in the healing centers is caused by utilizing obtrusive gadgets or strategies, for example, intravenous tubing and surgeries.
The epidemiological triad for CA-MRSA is slightly different. The environment is obviously not a healthcare facility, but rather a general community and the host characteristics are different. Rather than being an immunocompromised individual the hosts are typically young and affiliated with activities that put them in close proximity to others. Hosts are characteristically members of health clubs or sports teams (Davis et al., 2007). The agent is still an antibiotic resistant strain of S. aureus, but studies have shown that the specific isolates of CA-MRSA are different than those that cause hospital acquired
One of the more frightening bacteria’s spreading around the weight room is Methicilin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, better known as MRSA. Ironically, people usually attribute the spreading of MRSA from hospitals, but Adams says that recent data has revealed this bacterium in a lot more athletes. What’s dangerous about MRSA, the Mayo Clinic reports, comes from the strains ability to resist antibiotics that are commonly used to treat generic staph
MRSA is known to be very contagious. The way a person attains this specific infection is through physical contact. Meaning if one has a cut or open wound the disease can enter there upon being transmitted the infection by another individual. People don’t necessarily have to come into contact with those infected in order for them to contract it. People are actually more susceptible contracting it through certain surfaces that have been contaminated by the disease. Common places to attain this disease are places with constant traffic of people such as hospitals, gyms, locker rooms, or pools.