Patient A
Paronychia is an infection of the nail that occurs when bacteria enter the tissue surrounding the nail following trauma to the surrounding skin or cuticle. (Rigopoulos et al, 2008)
S. aureus forms part of the nasal flora of approximately 30% - 40% of the population, and can also be found transiently on the skin and in other areas e.g. mucous membranes, vagina. S. aureus produce lipases and glycerol ester hydrolases which break down lipids in the skin and can also grow in high salt concentrations. These factors facilitate colonisation of the skin.
When the skin barrier is broken, S. aureus is able to penetrate the tissue below. S. aureus produces microbial surface components recognising adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMMs)
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This results in a massive influx of leukocytes especially neutrophils to the site of infection.
S. aureus produces haemolysins and leukocidins that are able to lyse host blood cells. When leukocytes, especially neutrophils, are lysed, they release lysosomal enzymes that damage the surrounding tissue. The host response to this tissue damage is to deposit a fibrin capsule around the damage containing it to the site of the infection. This fibrin capsule also protects the bacteria inside from the host’s immune cells.
S. aureus produces catalase which destroys neutrophils ability to produce oxygen free radicals used to kill phagocytised bacteria, and coagulases which convert fibrin to fibrinogen, proteases, and DNases. S. aureus also produces hyaluronidase which breaks down hyaluronic acid which is part of the matrix in-between cells. This facilitates the spreading of the bacterium through the tissues and may account for the cellulitis seen in this patient. (Engleburg et al, 2013a) (Cheng et al, 2011) (Bauman, 2012a) (Greenwood et al, 2007a)
Treatment for Staphylococcal abscesses initially involves the lancing of the abscess and drainage of the pus which consists of the infectious organism and dead white blood cells. (Goering et al, 2013a)
Antibiotic sensitivity testing revealed that this strain of S. aureus is resistant to Oxacillin, and therefore, the initial antibiotic therapy of
Humans are a natural reservoir for S. aureus, and asymptomatic colonization is far more common than infection. Young children tend to have higher colonization rates, probably because of their frequent contact with respiratory secretions.
Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections, it can cause serious infections such as bloodstream infection, pneumonia or bone infections. Though it can cause infections it is part of the normal human flora it is mostly found on the skin or in nasal cavities. It is a facultative anaerobic gram positive cocci, it is usually in pairs or clusters. The bacterium is also catalase positive, oxidase
The Staphylococcus aureus bacteria belongs to the Staphylococcaceae family. It is small, round shaped, and non-motile. Staphylococcus aureus stains gram positive and can often be found in small clusters (Mandal, 2010). It often forms chains and is a large contributor of soft tissue infections. It is of a yellow color, hence the name ?aureus? which comes from the Latin term ?aurum? for gold (Orenstein, n.d.). Staphylococcus aureus is found in a few spots on the human body, such as the nasal passage, the skin, the oral cavity, and even the gastrointestinal tract. Staphylococci and Streptococci are two different strands of the bacteria and are very hard to distinguish from one another. In order to tell the difference between them, without a microscope, a catalase test needs to be performed. The test is undergone by adding 3% hydrogen peroxide to both samples. Since Staphylococci are catalase positive, meaning they produce catalase, they will produce O? while the Streptococci will not because Streptococci are catalase negative (Todar, n.d.).
skin condition that staph is able to cause is cellulitis. It is more common in people who have a weakened immune system such as people who are immunocompromised, infants, and the elderly. Cellulitis is characterized by a red, warm patch on the skin paired with a fever. “The bacteria that cause cellulitis can spread rapidly, entering lymph nodes and your bloodstream. Recurrent episodes of cellulitis may cause chronic swelling of the affected limb” (Mayo, 2015). Cellulitis is spread extremely easily, and is a big issue within long term care facilities. The infection can be cured by antibiotics. However, there are cases reported stating that cellulitis is becoming resistant to some antibiotics. The doctor can order a culture to send to pathology.
Staph are common bacteria that are denizens of the human body. It is perfectly fine to carry staph; a lot of healthy people hold it within their bodies without being infected by it. Furthermore, one third of the population has staph bacteria in their noses. However, staph can rapidly become quite a problem if it manages to enter the body, usually through a cut, and cause an infection. Staph is one of the most popular causes of skin infections in the U.S. Most infections are minor, not fatal, and don’t require special treatment, but some can be disastrously life-threatening, creating festering wounds or pneumonia.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is a bacterium that is resistant to many available high- level beta-lactam antibiotics, which include penicillins, “antistaphylococcal” penicillins and cephalosporins. Staphyloccoci are the most important bacteria that cause disease in humans. MRSA is sometimes branded as a nosocomial infection as it usually plagues patients that are receiving treatment in a hospital. The skin is the most common site of infection, where MRSA can cause cellulitis, folliculitis, or boils in the skin, but can also commonly be found in the nose, underarm, groin, upper respiratory tract, intestine, vagina and rectal areas of the body. MRSA infections occur with there is a break in the skin that allows the Methicillin resistant
When an inflammatory response happens white blood cells release endotoxins and exotoxins that destroy the bacteria causing infection. However, these toxins also cause damage to the surrounding blood vessels and therefore leak into the
Poor personal hygiene and not covering open wounds can lead to infection with golden staph. Golden Staph causes disease due to direct infection of the targeted area or due to the production of toxins by the bacteria. Infections can include Boils, impetigo, food poisoning, cellulitis, and toxic shock syndrome are all examples of diseases that can be caused by Staphylococcus. Staph infections can occur among anyone, however certain groups of people are at greater risk, including “newborn infants, breastfeeding women, and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, vascular disease, and lung disease. Injecting drug users, those with skin injuries or disorders, intravenous catheters, surgical incisions, and those with a weakened immune system due either to disease or a result of immune suppressing medications all have an increased risk of developing staph infections” (Conrad, 2018). Symptoms and signs of a staph infection include pus, for example boil, furuncle or abscess. The infected are if typically tender and painful, abiding with redness and swelling. A bacterial infection, like staphylococcus aureus consists of countless individual bacteria. Most infections caused by golden staph are treatable with antibiotics. Staph is treated through three main antibiotics, these antibiotics include penicillin, methicillin and vancomycin. However, there is a strong possibility that a
Staphylococcus aureus is a cluster bacterium that can be found on the skin of around 25% of healthy adults. This bacterium is growing everyday all over the world and many people have no idea they are even carriers. “Staphylococcus aureus is present in the nose of adults (temporarily in 60% and permanently in 20 to 30%) and sometimes on the skin” (Levison). This bacterium has the ability to cause skin infection and sometimes may lead to severe life threatening diseases. There are several different strains of staphylococcus and depending on the severity of the infection is how a health care provider decides the treatment most efficient. Impetigo is more common in children, but adults still have the chance of getting this skin condition. Toxic Shock Syndrome is also associated with S. aureus and is found in at least 50% of the cases to date. S. aureus can display a variety of symptoms and all vary with the disease at hand. Symptoms can range from a boil on the skin or in the nose to skin rashes. More severe symptoms can be carbuncles and infection of the blood (sepsis).Staphylococcus aureus is an ugly bacterium; that can lead to several diseases, such as Toxic Shock Syndrome and Impetigo. S. aureus has multiple symptoms and is treated with a variety of antibiotics.
aureus is due to several factors. It is coagulase positive which forms accesses and prevents phagocytosis. It produces several exotoxins that create different responses in the body such as exfoliative toxin which causes scalded skin syndrome and enterotoxin which causes Staphylococcal food poisoning. Exotoxins produced by S. aureus are also responsible for Toxic Shock Syndrome, which is associated with tampon use and wound packing. In general, S. aureus is resistant to penicillin and some strains are resistant to methicillin (MRSA). According to the Minnesota Department of Health, most skin infections caused by S. aureus are self-limiting and do not require antibiotic treatment, but in cases where immunity is suppressed or skin is broken due to surgery or injury, infections may require antibiotic treatment or abscess drainage to prevent more serious infection
This particular organism, S. aureus is a Gram + cocci, under the microscope it looks like purple grape-like clusters. A distinguishing feature of S. aureus is that it ferments glucose and in addition it can inhabit a salty environment like our skin. A Bromocresol purple glucose test that tests for glucose fermentation can be performed. The glucose fermentation will cause the pH of the indicator to decrease causing a yellow, positive result. This is important, as this is a way to differentiate S. aureus from Micrococci which is another salt tolerant skin flora. Micrococci does not ferment glucose and will remain
aureus. There are many strains that contains various virulence factors. Two important virulence factors that were detailed in research performed by Fitzgerald et al. [6] and Mehrotra et al. [7] were Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-1 (TSST-1) and Staphylococcal Enterotoxin C (SEC). Both toxins have been detected in the DNA of some S. aureus strains. Should these strains be transmitted to infants they are most definitely a possible cause of death if actively encoded by the bacteria. These toxins are known to be quick and activate immune response to such a high degree that the patient succumbs to the infection. Various hospital studies have been performed to study transmission by objects, such as that by Grundmannn et al. [8]. These are significant to this study since infants often put items in their mouth that are not always clean and safe for them to contact. The study by Grundmannn et al. [8] also indicated that hospital beds were contaminated with S. aureus which is significant to beds within households that infants may lay in. Introducing rabbit models to contaminated objects such as water bottle tips and bedding will elucidate the transmission routes these items can provide to infants. In SIDS cases, breast fed infants, observed by Highet et al. [9], tested higher for S. aureus than healthy infants did and slightly higher than non-breastfed SIDS cases. In In Aim 1 of this research we plan to elucidate the transmission
Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen of more importance due to rise in resistance to antibiotic (Lowy, 1998).It is different from the CoNS (e.g. S. epidermidis), and more venomous despite their phylogenic similarity (Waldvogel, 1990; Projan and Novick, 1997). CoNS when grown on solid media form translucent white color colonies (Howard and Kloos, 1987). Genome databases to date the staphylococcus aureus have been completed for 7 strains, MRSA, 8325, MSSA COL, MW2, N315, and Mu50. S. aureus genome average size is 2.8Mb (Kuroda et al., 2001). S. aureus cell wall is 20-40 nm thick a hard protective coat, which is generally unstructured in appearance (Shockman and Barrett, 1983). Under the cell wall is the cytoplasm that is enclosed by the cytoplasmic
Bacterial biofilms are a major barrier in terms of wound healing. During cell to cell
The release of two exotoxins from certain strains of S. aureus can lead to Staphylococcal scaled skin syndrome (SSSS), which is characterized by blistering skin. Invasion into the body can lead to more serious health problems including pneumonia (a frequent complication of influenza), mastitis, phlebitis (inflammation of the veins), meningitis, and urinary tract infections. If the bacterium is allowed to colonize even deeper tissues more serious conditions such as osteomyelitis and endocarditis may result. The most serious consequences of these deeper tissue infections occur when the bacterium invades the bloodstream leading to septic shock and possibly death.