MRSA: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention

 

Methicillin resistant. A particular strain of Staph bacteria that has developed resistance to several of the medicines used to treat common Staph infections is the source of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.

 Most methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are acquired by patients who have visited hospitals or other healthcare facilities, including dialysis and nursing homes. In these contexts, it is called healthcare-associated (HA-MRSA). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) infections linked to healthcare settings are typically related to invasive medical procedures or devices, including artificial joints, intravenous tubing, and surgeries. Healthcare personnel who touch patients with unclean hands or come into contact with unclean surfaces can transfer HA-MRSA.

Infections of different types have also been reported among healthy members of the community. This kind, known as community-associated (CA-MRSA), frequently starts as an excruciating boil on the skin. Skin-to-skin contact is the usual way that it spreads. People who work in childcare facilities, live in crowded housing or are high school wrestlers are examples of at-risk populations.

Also Read: Aspergillosis: Symptoms, Types, Causes, Risk factors, Treatment and Prevention

What is MRSA?

The bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is responsible for infections in several body parts. It is more difficult to treat than the majority of Staph strains due to its resistance to some commonly used antibiotics.

While the majority of MRSA infections are not dangerous, some can be fatal. A lot of public health specialists are concerned about the proliferation of resistant MRSA strains. Its difficult-to-treat nature has earned it the moniker "superbug" at times.

MRSA infection types

MRSA infection types include:

• Infections of the skin and soft tissues (SSTIs).

• Pneumonia.

• Infections of the bones and joints (osteomyelitis).

• Blood-borne bacteria is known as bacteremia.

• Heart inflammation is known as endocarditis.

What distinguishes an MRSA infection from a Staph infection?

Any infection brought on by the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium is referred to as a Staph infection. Antibiotic-resistant Staph infections are known as MRSA infections. Compared to MRSA, staph infections are often far more common and treatable.

 Symptoms:

Skin infections caused by Staph bacteria, such as pimples or spider bites, typically begin as painful, swollen lumps. The region that is impacted could be:

• Filled with discharge or pus

• Pain at the infection site

• Fever

• Cough

• Feeling short of breath

• Chest pain

• Fatigued

• Joint or muscle pain

Causes:

The germs Staphylococcus aureus, sometimes known as "staph," come in a variety of forms. A third of people typically have staph bacteria on their skin or in their noses. Unless the bacteria enter the body through a cut or other wound, they are normally harmless, and even then, in healthy individuals, they often only cause minor skin concerns.

About 5% of people have a chronic staph bacterial infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Resistance to antibiotics:

This is the outcome of decades of frequently needless use of antibiotics. Antibiotics have been recommended for years to treat viral infections such as the flu and colds that do not improve with these medications. Because antibiotics don't kill every germ they target, even when used properly, they contribute to the emergence of drug-resistant germs. Due to their rapid evolutionary rate, bacteria quickly develop resistance to different antibiotics, even if they initially survive treatment with one.

Complication:

Treatment for complications infections is more challenging since they are resistant to the effects of several standard antibiotics. This may permit the infections to grow and occasionally become life-threatening.

Infections could impact you:

• Blood Stream

• Heart

• Lungs

• Bones

• Joints

Who is at risk?

MRSA can infect anyone, although certain groups are more susceptible than others:

• Athletes

• Children in daycare centers and schools

• Military in their barracks

• Those who obtain healthcare when they are inpatients

• Individuals who have undergone surgery or have had medical equipment inserted

• Individuals who inject drugs

How is the diagnosis of MRSA made?

A healthcare provider diagnoses MRSA by sending a sample of body tissue or fluid to a lab to be tested. They may attempt to culture (grow) bacteria using the sample. They could test samples such as these examples:

• Blood

• Tissue from a wound

• Pee (urine)

• Sputum is the mucus that your lungs cough up

• Sometimes, healthcare professionals use a skin or nasal swab to screen for MRSA colonization

MRSA Treatment:

The type and location of your infection will determine the course of therapy you need. It can be limited to a skin infection, for instance, or the bacteria may have entered into the bloodstream.

Possible course of treatment:

• Draining fluid from an absess

• Surgically excising contaminated tissue

• Recommending antibiotics for the treatment of MRSA

You may not require antibiotics if your illness is limited to your skin. However, you risk exacerbating the infection if you attempt to drain the abscess yourself. Make sure you receive medical attention from a professional.

Serious infections will require hospitalization, even though MRSA skin infections are typically treated at your physician's office. Antibiotics will be injected into your vein to help treat the infection.

While Staphylococcus aureus is the source of both HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA strands, their virulence (the capacity to infect and cause disease) and resistance vary. Compared to CA-MRSA, HA-MRSA has a wider range of antibiotic resistance.
According to one study, some drugs may be more effective against HA-MRSA or CA-MRSA. In light of this, your doctor may recommend distinct antibiotics for you depending on whether you have CA- or HA-MRSA.

To treat MRSA infections, healthcare professionals tend to open wounds and identify appropriate drugs for your particular strain of MRSA. Draining fluid and surgically excising diseased tissue are two aspects of wound therapy. Prosthetics and other contaminated medical equipment may also be removed. In the hospital, medical professionals provide intravenous (into your vein) antibiotics to treat serious MRSA infections.

Antibiotic to treat MRSA infections

A physician may treat MRSA using the following antibiotics:

• Rifampin.

• Vancomycin.

• TMP/SMX stands for trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.

• Ceftaroline.

• Linezolid.

• Daptomycin.

• Clindamycin.

• doxycycline.

• Delafloxacine.

MRSA is sometimes referred to as a "superbug" due to its resistance mechanisms to numerous medications, which make treatment challenging. Your healthcare professional may choose to treat you with multiple antibiotics at once as one strategy.

Prevention:

Preventing HA-MRSA

• To stop the spread, patients who are infected or colonized are frequently isolated in hospitals. When providing care for individuals in isolation, visitors and medical personnel may need to wear protective clothing.

• They also have to practice good hand hygiene. Healthcare professionals can reduce the risk of HA-MRSA by, for instance, using hand sanitizer or washing their hands with soap and water before and after each clinical visit.

• Laundry supplies, hospital rooms, surfaces, and equipment all require routine cleaning and adequate disinfection.

• Clean the linens. Towels and bed linens should be washed in a hot dryer and dried in the hottest water setting (ideally with bleach added) if you have a cut or sore. Clean athletic and gym attire after each use.

Among the actions you can take to prevent CA-MRSA are:

• Bandage and clean wounds.

• Share not personal items like razors and towels.

• Reusing needles, even your own, is not advised when administering non-medical medicines or treatments.

• Wash your workout clothing, bedding, and towels regularly in the correct water temperature. Use a dryer to dry everything. It is not necessary to wash potentially contaminated things separately or use bleach.

• After working out or engaging in activities that raise your chance of coming into contact with MRSA, take a shower right after.

• Wipe off high-touch surfaces like light switches, remote controls, and sports equipment with disinfectants that destroy bacteria. Look for disinfectants that eliminate staph bacteria by checking labels.

• Frequently wash your hands for at least 20 seconds using hot water and soap. When washing your hands is not an option, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

References:

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/community/index.html. Accessed Nov. 2, 2020.

• Labus D, Weinhold L, Heller J. The effect of isolation precautions on care processes and medical outcomes in patients colonized with MRSA (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7006949/). GMS Hyg Infect Control. 2019 Nov 29;14:Doc18. Accessed 5/7/2024.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): Healthcare Settings (https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/healthcare/index.html). Last reviewed 2/28/2019. Accessed 5/7/2024.

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in adults: Epidemiology. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Nov. 2, 2020.

• AskMayoExpert. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Mayo Clinic; 2020.

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus infections (MRSA and MRSE). Elsevier Point of Care. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 2, 2020.

• Yu Y, Huang HL, Ye XQ, et al. Synergistic Potential of Antimicrobial Combinations Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33013731/). Front Microbiol. 2020 Aug 17;11:1919. Accessed 5/7/2024.

• Shimizu M, Mihara T, Ohara J, Inoue K, Kinoshita M, Sawa T. Relationship between mortality and molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35802589/). PLoS One. 2022 Jul 8;17(7):e0271115. Accessed 5/7/2024.

• Harris A. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in adults: Prevention and control. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Nov. 2, 2020.

• Ferri FF. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2021. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 2, 2020.