Methicillin-Resistant Thermodynamics: A Case Study

When cases of MRSA infection have been identified in the community, a thorough investigation usually reveals a history of recent hospitalization; close contact with a person who has been hospitalized; or other risk factors, such as previous antimicrobial-drug therapy. A study from Chicago found a 25-fold increase in the number of children admitted to the hospital with an MRSA infection who lacked an identifiable risk factor for prior colonization.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or more commonly, MRSA can be transmitted in two separate ways, therefore giving it two different names. One way it is spread is by way of hospitals, giving it the name health care-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA). Another way it is spread is through busy areas with a lot of crowding, therefore naming it community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA). MRSA is considered an emerging disease because the prevalence of the disease has increased over the past few decades.

Describe methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and its implications for patients who are diagnosed with this.

MRSA is spread by contact, so for example, touching another person who has it on the skin, or by touching objects the bacteria has transferred to. These particular infections are frequent amongst those with weak immune systems and those in hospitals, nursing homes, care centers, etc., because the superbugs crop up around surgical wounds or invasive devices such as catheters or implanted feeding tubes. The

Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus also referred to as MRSA is a type bacterium that becomes immune to many antibiotics used to treat even the most common infection. MRSA has become an issue in hospitals around the globe as it is known to constanly change over time. Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus (MRSA) usually occurs in day care home, hospitals and other related health care facilities. It was reported that in 2005 the majority of all infection related cases came from an antibiotic-resistant bacterium, resulting in a high rate of death (Tacconelli, et al 2007). In 1961 (Enright, et al 2002) methicillin-resistant staphylococcus (MRSA) was first discovered in the United Kingdom and later made its way to Asia and after to the United States.

Most MRSA infections occur in people who have been in health care settings such as hospitals, and other places. It is also known as health-care-associated MRSA, which are typically associated with invasive procedures or devices such as surgeries, intravenous tubing or artificial joints. It can be spread by skin-to-skin contact, by a wider community- among healthy people, which often begins as a painful skin boil. People more at risk for examples are groups such as high school wrestlers, child care workers, and or people who live in crowded conditions.

The main hospital strains are already partially or fully resistant to the effects of commonly used antibiotics. Resistance is also emerging to last resort drugs like vancomycin. The more virulent community strains of MRSA are infiltrating hospitals while the more resistant hospital strain is leaking into the community. The history of MRSA as described in Superbug shows how quickly bacteria can evolve when we add a strong selective force like antibiotics. Around the world, species of bacteria are becoming “superbugs” that are resistant to conventional treatments. Pharmaceutical companies are cutting research on new antibiotics in favor of more profitable investments. We are quickly running out of options for treating multi-drug resistant bacteria. As we move toward a “post-antibiotic” world, there are valuable lessons to be found in the history of MRSA, one of the first superbugs. Students in Emerging Diseases should read Superbug to learn about the complex emergence of

MRSA is generally found in hospitals, simply due to the fact that there are higher number of infected surfaces and people in a hospital. The highest numbers of patients in a hospital are typically elderly patients; they are sicker and weaker than the general population. This ultimately makes them more susceptible to infection due to weaker immune systems. More than a third of the world 's population is colonized with MRSA; this makes the probability of infection is extremely high. A person can become infected when the organism invades the skin or deeper tissues and then begins to multiply.

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and was founded in the 1960’s. It was not recognized until the 1990’s when there was a breakout in the hospitals. Healthcare professionals became frightened of this “Super-Bug” mainly because of the spread from one person to another. It became uncontrollable and staff were not aware of how to prevent the spread and treat the patients. It was then that the hospitals and nursing homes developed infection control measures in order to control and prevent further spread of MRSA.

The occurrence of hospital acquired infections has become a norm in the health care system. Patients’ experiences of being infected with MRSA at a hospital and subsequently isolated follows 6 patients in their experiences after becoming infected with methicillin- resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in an outbreak in Sweden. MRSA this is a staphylococcus bacteria that has become resistant to antibiotics such as penicillin, which was traditionally used to treat it (Vyas, 2015).

Everyone is at risk to get the MRSA infection, especially if you have commonly done any of the above. "Two in 100 people carry MRSA." (CDC, MRSA) The risk of contracting MRSA is higher if you, have a low immune system, are in a hospital a lot (inpatient care), if you have had a catheter/IV, if you are sharing personal items, and if you are in close contact with others a lot. So how can you reduce your risk? "By maintaining good hand and body hygiene, keep cuts and scrapes covered until healed, avoid sharing personal items, get care early." (CDC, MRSA)

“Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of preventable nosocomial infections and is endemic in hospitals worldwide” (Sadsad, Sintchenko, McDonnell, Gilbert, p.1, 2013). MRSA is a bacterial infection that is resistant to antibiotics that are usually used to treat staphylococcus infections. MRSA is mostly found on the skin, but can also be seen in wound or sputum. Nurses and other healthcare workers can help prevent the spread of MRSA by maintaining a good hand washing hygiene, putting patients in isolated rooms. However, patients with a history of MRSA should have an indicator on the door to inform staff of the infection. Nurses and other staff that will have physical contact with patients should be meticulous about using standard precautions, such as wearing protective equipment like gowns and gloves when handling patients with

Working in the medical field I have come across a big group of my patients getting MRSA. Some of these people has been in the hospital others had not, so it made you wonder where they came across this bacteria. No matter what type of patient came in with it, it was always a big deal. So much that each patients chart has a special alert on it once they have been diagnosed with it at any point in their life. This bacteria has always intrigued me even more so when earlier this year, I myself was diagnosis with MRSA in a pimple I had on my face. It was amazing and scary to me on how quickly it escalated in size, pain, severity, and most of all it not treated timely depending on where

Streptococcus aureus is a universally known gram-positive bacterium and is most commonly found in infections. It is also known to have an ability to evolve and adapt to antibiotics such as penicillin and methicillin. S. aureus was regularly treated with penicillin up until the point it obtained a resistance to penicillin around 1948. This occurrence caused the switch from penicillin to methicillin to treat infections with S. aureus. However, over time Streptococcus aureus gained and developed several strains that are resistant to methicillin around 1961. These strains are known as MRSAs, which is short for methicillin resistant Streptococcus aureus. (Robinson 2003) Although not everything about the methicillin resistance in S. aureus is known,

MRSA also known as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus is big in the hospital. MRSA is the term for bacteria that have acquired resistance to the Methicillin antibiotic.