Xtra Smileys
[Open]
Flame Damnation
March 29, 2024, 09:52:45 am
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News:   
 
 
  Home Help Arcade Gallery Links Login Register  

What is MRSA?

Pages: [1]   Go Down
  Reply  |  New Topic  |  Print  
Author Topic: What is MRSA?  (Read 363 times)
0 Members and 41 Guests are viewing this topic.
caskur™
Swing Voter
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Offline Offline

Posts: 11001


Tortured Artist


« on: January 18, 2009, 02:40:04 pm »
Reply with quoteQuote

What is MRSA?


The organism Staphylococcus aureus is found on many individuals skin and seems to cause no major problems. However if it gets inside the body, for instance under the skin or into the lungs, it can cause important infections such as boils or pneumonia. Individuals who carry this organism are usually totally healthy, have no problems whatever and are considered simply to be carriers of the organism.

The term MRSA or methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus is used to describe those examples of this organism that are resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Methicillin was an antibiotic used many years ago to treat patients with Staphylococcus aureus infections. It is now no longer used except as a means of identifying this particular type of antibiotic resistance.

Individuals can become carriers of MRSA in the same way that they can become a carrier of ordinary Staphylococcus aureus which is by physical contact with the organism. If the organism is on the skin then it can be passed around by physical contact. If the organism is in the nose or is associated with the lungs rather than the skin then it may be passed around by droplet spread from the mouth and nose. We can find out if and where Staphylococcus aureus is located on a patient by taking various samples, sending them to the laboratory and growing the organism. Tests done on any Staphylococcus aureus grown from such specimens can then decide how sensitive the organisms is to antibiotics and if it is a methicillin resistant (MRSA) organism. These test usually take 2-3 days.



 

Why bother with MRSA?
MRSA organisms are often associated with patients in hospitals but can also be found on patients not in a hospital. Usually it is not necessary to do anything about MRSA organisms. However if MRSA organisms are passed on to someone who is already ill, then a more serious infection may occur in that individual. When patients with MRSA are discovered in a hospital, the hospital will usually try to prevent it from passing around to other patients. This is known as infection control.



 

How do we prevent the spread of MRSA?
Measures to prevent the spread of organisms from one person to another are called isolation or infection control. The type of infection control or isolation required for any patient depends on the organism, where the organisms is found on an individual and the patient.

The most important type of isolation required for MRSA is what is called Contact Isolation. This type of isolation requires everyone in contact with the patient to be very careful about hand washing after touching either the patient or anything in contact with the patient. If the organism is in the nose or lungs it may also be necessary to have the patient in a room to prevent spread to others by droplet spread. Because dust and surfaces can become contaminated with the organism, cleaning of surfaces are also important. This usually occurs after the patient leaves the hospital.

If a number of patients are infected with the same organism it is possible to nurse them in the same area. On occasions for the sake of other patients it may be necessary to move carriers of MRSA to an isolation unit such as ours which specializes in isolating all types of infections to protect other persons. The medical care of such patients will continue in an isolation unit which are well used to caring for all types of medical and surgical problems associated with infections.



 

What do visitors need to do?
Provided relatives and friends of patients with MRSA are healthy there is no restriction on visiting and it carries no risk. Visitors are not required to wear special clothing BUT we would ask you to help us prevent this organism spreading around our hospital by keeping the patients' door closed at all times and always washing your hands whenever you leave the room.



 

What about MRSA at home?
In patients who are otherwise well the organisms often disappear once the patient leaves the hospital. Sometimes they do not however, and this may mean that when a patient has to go back into hospital the isolation precautions need to be used again. Provided everyone at home is healthy special precautions are not required at home.



 

What can be done about MRSA?
In certain situations it may be a good idea to try to get rid of the organism from a patient and this can be done with various creams and shampoos or on occasions combinations of antibiotics taken by mouth or by injection depending on the health of the patient.

http://www.link.med.ed.ac.uk/ridu/Mrsa.htm


Report Spam   Logged

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

bella
Guest
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2009, 03:13:45 pm »
Reply with quoteQuote

dangerous stuff man!  the number one thing that one can do to prevent it is wash one's hands
Report Spam   Logged
caskur™
Swing Voter
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Offline Offline

Posts: 11001


Tortured Artist


« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2009, 03:30:45 pm »
Reply with quoteQuote

dangerous stuff man!  the number one thing that one can do to prevent it is wash one's hands


I'm upset that my cat rolls around in sand then comes inside and sleeps on my bed.

For me to get so sick with pneumonia [I'm 100% over it now, thank god] I'm partually blaming the cat.....I want to stop her sleeping on my bed. My other cat was an outside cat and lived happily for 20 yrs outside....but Puddy is spoiled rotten.
Report Spam   Logged
bella
Guest
« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2009, 03:36:14 pm »
Reply with quoteQuote

glad you are better<flower>  pneumonia sucks.  my birth mother died of it at 27 & i almost did while 5 months pregnant w/ my youngest many many years ago.  i HATE it
Report Spam   Logged
caskur™
Swing Voter
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Offline Offline

Posts: 11001


Tortured Artist


« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2009, 04:08:48 pm »
Reply with quoteQuote

glad you are better<flower>  pneumonia sucks.  my birth mother died of it at 27 & i almost did while 5 months pregnant w/ my youngest many many years ago.  i HATE it

I was sick with the Hong kong flu as a child, but I rarely get colds and flus as an adult so I was SHOCKED, to get pneumonia this time.....no wonder it kills old people....Patrick Swayse is supposed to be down with pneumonia....I think it will kill him.....I'm expecting to hear any minute, he has died.
Report Spam   Logged
arete
Guest
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2009, 01:27:41 am »
Reply with quoteQuote

O would you stop it!
He's out of the hospital.
I really like him and hope
he gets better.   
Report Spam   Logged
caskur™
Swing Voter
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Offline Offline

Posts: 11001


Tortured Artist


« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2009, 04:38:32 am »
Reply with quoteQuote

O would you stop it!
He's out of the hospital.
I really like him and hope
he gets better.   

I like him too, and he doesn't deserve a short life....but make no mistake about it....his cancer won't kill him, if he really does have pneumonia, THAT will kill him in his weakened state.
Report Spam   Logged
arete
Guest
« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2009, 05:02:17 am »
Reply with quoteQuote

I hope you're wrong.  I want to see him
get healed from all of it RIGHT NOW!
He's an awesome dude!   Smiley  Dirty Dancin'
is one of my al time favorite movies.  <blush>
Report Spam   Logged
caskur™
Swing Voter
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Offline Offline

Posts: 11001


Tortured Artist


« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2009, 12:01:57 pm »
Reply with quoteQuote

I hope you're wrong.  I want to see him
get healed from all of it RIGHT NOW!
He's an awesome dude!   Smiley  Dirty Dancin'
is one of my al time favorite movies.  <blush>

I hope I am wrong too.....My favourite is Ghost....

love that movie and Whoopie is brilliant in it as well.
Report Spam   Logged
arete
Guest
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2009, 12:06:30 pm »
Reply with quoteQuote

Hell yahhh, I love Ghost.

I saw a good movie last night.
The Last Holiday with Queen Latifah.

 Smiley
Report Spam   Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
  Reply  |  New Topic  |  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Bookmark this site!
Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy