There are more than 30 different types of bacteria that are classified as Staphylococcus; the most common is Staphylococcus aureus.
You dont have to be sick to be a carrier of the staph bacteria. This germ lives on the skin and in the nose of many healthy people, and most will never be affected by it.
But for some especially those with compromised immune systems the bacteria can cause an infection that ranges from a mild skin rash to potentially life-threatening blood poisoning.
There are many different forms of staph infections. The most common are:
Skin Infections: These staph-related conditions include boils, cellulitis, and impetigo.
Boils are hair follicles or oil glands that have become infected and are often filled with pus. The boil may be raised, swollen, red, and painful to the touch. Boils most often occur in areas with a lot of friction, including under the arms, in the groin, and on the buttocks.
Cellulitis is an infection of the deeper layers of skin that causes your skin to swell, turn red, and become warm and tender. Oozing sores (ulcers) may also develop. Cellulitis most often occurs in the lower legs and feet.
Impetigo is a highly contagious skin rash most commonly seen in children. An infected person will have blisters that ooze and crust over after a few days.
Food poisoning: Eating food that has been contaminated by staph bacteria is one of the most common causes of food poisoning. Symptoms occur suddenly and include:
Toxic shock syndrome: Also known as TSS, this potentially deadly condition results from toxins that are produced by some strains of staph bacteria.
TSS has been associated with the use of certain types of tampons, skin wounds, and surgery. Symptoms appear suddenly and include:
Septic Arthritis: Staph infection is a common cause of septic arthritis. The knees are most often affected, but the bacteria can target other joints including your ankle, hip, wrist, elbow, shoulder, or spine. Symptoms include:
Bacteremia: Also known as blood poisoning, bacteremia is a more serious result of staph infection.
As the name suggests, it occurs when staph bacteria enter a person's bloodstream; symptoms include a fever and low blood pressure. Bacteremia can affect:
If you suspect you have any form of a staph infection, its important to see your doctor.
To diagnose a staph infection, your doctor will examine any sores or cuts you may have. Cellulitis and impetigo both have predictable patterns and telltale lesions, and both can generally be diagnosed visually.
Your doctor may also collect a tissue sample. Staph infections are diagnosed by analyzing a tissue sample or nasal secretions for the bacteria.
Depending on the type of staph infection you have, your doctor may:
If an oral antibiotic is ineffective, it may be because the strain of staph bacteria is resistant to most antibiotics. This type of staph is known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
In the event of a MRSA infection, an intravenous antibiotic, such as vancomycin (Vancocin) or dalbavancin (Dalvance), may need to be administered.
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Staph infection is a general term for any infection caused by Staphylococcus, a type of bacteria.
The symptoms of a particular staph infection will vary by the type of infection. The most common are:
A boil (or furuncle) is an infected hair follicle or oil gland. Symptoms of boils are:
Impetigo is a contagious skin infection that most commonly occurs in children, ages 2-5 (most commonly). Symptoms of impetigo are:
Cellulitis is a common skin infection. Symptoms of cellulitis are:
When you eat food contaminated with staph bacteria, you may develop food poisoning. Symptoms of food poisoning caused by staph often occur rapidly (30 minutes to six hours after eating) and include:
Toxic shock syndrome, or TSS, is a potentially deadly infection. Symptoms of TSS include:
Septic arthritis is when bacteria spread to a joint. It can occur at any age in children it typically affects those less than 3 years old. Symptoms of septic arthritis in children include:
Symptoms in adults include:
Anyone who stays in the hospital, those who have a catheter, has a weakened immune system, or is elderly is at higher risk for bacteremia, also known as blood poisoning or sepsis. Symptoms of bacteremia include:
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Staph infections are caused by Staphylococcus bacteria that live on your skin, in your mouth, and in your nasal secretions.
There are more than 30 different bacteria that are classified as Staphylococcus; Staphylococcus aureus is the most common one. You can be a carrier of staph bacteria and never get sick.
But for those with open sores or cuts, compromised immune systems, or who have recently had surgery, staph bacteria can cause an infection that ranges from mild to severe to life threatening.
Certain types of staph infections, including boils and impetigo (a skin rash), are contagious.
Other types of staph infections, including cellulitis, food poisoning, toxic shock syndrome, bacteremia, osteomyelitis, and septic arthritis are not contagious.
You are at higher risk for a staph infection if:
Many staph infections are preventable with proper wound care and good hygiene.
The most important thing you can do to prevent a staph infection is to follow proper wound care procedures. If you have a cut, scrape, or bug bite, wash it with soap and warm water. Allow it to dry, then apply an antibacterial ointment. Cover it with a bandage until it heals.
Dont scratch bug bites or pick at scabs; dirty fingers and nails can introduce bacteria into a wound. If you have a boil, dont squeeze it or try to pop it yourself.
At home and in the locker room, dont share towels, razors, or other personal care items that may be contaminated with bacteria.
And if you know you are a carrier of staph bacteria, let your dentist or doctor know prior to treatment. He or she can prescribe an antibiotic prior to a dental cleaning or any type of surgery.
A superbug is any germ usually a strain of bacteria that has developed a resistance to antibiotics or other treatments.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is an increasingly common strain of staph bacteria thats resistant to methicillin and other antibiotics commonly prescribed to treat staph infections.
Hospital patients, nursing home residents, and those who attend healthcare centers (including dialysis centers) are at a greater risk for MRSA.
Its important that you only take antibiotics only when necessary (not for viral infections like the flu or colds) and when they are prescribed to you by a doctor.
Also, its critical that people always finish their full course of antibiotics, even if their symptoms have subsided, to prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant superbugs such as MRSA.
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The treatment for staph infections will depend both on the strain of staph you are infected with and the way the infection shows up.
Boils: A boil is an infected hair follicle or oil gland that is red, swollen, and sometimes filled with pus. Treatment for boils include:
If the boil does not burst on its own, or you have a fever, or it develops red streaks, you should see your doctor, who may decide to lance it. Your doctor may also prescribe an antibiotic if the boil is infected.
Impetigo: Impetigo is a skin infection that causes a rash with pus-filled blisters. It is most common in children. Treatment for impetigo includes:
Cellulitis: Cellulitis is a skin infection that causes swollen, hot, red patches on the shins and calves. Treatments for cellulitis include:
Unfortunately, there is no treatment for food poisoning that is caused by staph infections. On the plus side, the symptoms typically resolve themselves in 24 hours.
Toxic shock syndrome, or TSS, is a potentially deadly infection that starts with fever and confusion and can lead to kidney and liver failure. Treatment for toxic shock syndrome includes:
Septic arthritis is a result of bacteria that has spreads through your blood to a joint, causing pain and swelling. Treatment of septic arthritis includes:
Bacteremia, also known as blood poisoning or sepsis, can cause high fevers and low blood pressure. Treatment includes:
Because staph bacteria are very adaptable, only about 10 percent of staph infections respond to treatment with penicillin and other older types of antibiotics.
An increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of staph bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, has led to the use of alternative antibiotics that have the potential for more serious side effects.
In severe cases of MRSA, you may need to be hospitalized to receive an intravenous antibiotic, such as vancomycin (Vancocin) or dalbavancin (Dalvance).
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MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of staph infection caused by a so-called superbug staph bacteria thats resistant to the antibiotic drugs usually used to treat common staph infections.
An estimated 2 percent of the population carries the MSRA type of staph bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
MRSA has become more common in recent years as a result of the over-prescribing of antibiotics including prescribing antibiotics for viral infections such as colds and flu. Antibiotics are useless at treating infections caused by viruses.
Many other bacteria, such as tuberculosis, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), and gonorrhea, are also becoming more resistant to antibiotics and are now increasingly challenging to treat.
There are two types of MRSA, hospital-acquired MRSA, known as HA-MRSA, and community-acquired MRSA, or CA-MRSA.
HA-MRSA occurs most often in people who have been in healthcare settings including hospitals, nursing homes, or dialysis centers.
CA-MRSA is spread by skin-to-skin contact or in crowded conditions. High school and college wrestlers, and those who live in dormitories, prisons, or military barracks, are at higher risk of MRSA infection.
MRSA is a type of bacteria that lives on most everyones body. You can be a carrier of the bacteria and have no symptoms.
Risk factors for HA-MRSA include:
Risk factors for CA-MRSA include:
A large percentage of people who carry the MRSA strain of staph bacteria will never develop serious symptoms.
But for those with an active MRSA infection, the infection typically begins with small red bumps that look like pimples, boils, or spider bites. These seemingly harmless bumps can develop into deep, painful abscesses that require surgical draining.
The bacteria may stay on the skin, but in some more serious cases, they can bore deep into the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections in surgical wounds, bones, joints, the bloodstream, lungs, and heart valves.
Following proper hygienic procedures is key to preventing the spread of HA-MRSA in the hospital and other health care facilities. Contaminated laundry should be thoroughly washed in hot water and surfaces should be properly disinfected.
Those who are infected with MRSA are often placed in isolation (sometimes called contact isolation) to prevent the spread of the bacteria. Nurses, doctors, and other health care workers caring for those in isolation may need to wear protective garments and follow strict hygiene procedures.
Your doctor may take a sample of your nasal secretions or other tissue sample to test for the presence of MRSA bacteria. The results take about one to two days.
As the name suggests, MRSA bacteria is resistant to many antibiotics. If left untreated an infection may become life threatening as it spreads to your:
Both forms of MRSA HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA respond to certain types of antibiotics. The nasal secretion culture your doctor did will help determine the right type of antibiotic for your case.
In severe cases, you may need to be hospitalized to receive an intravenous antibiotic such as vancomycin (Vancocin) or dalbavancin (Dalvance).
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MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of staph bacteria thats resistant to most antibiotics; for that reason, its also known as a superbug.
When bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, its harder to kill them and it takes longer for you to recover from an infection.
In otherwise healthy people, MRSA can cause skin infections. In hospitals and other healthcare settings, it can lead to more severe infections including bloodstream infections.
Of the more than 30 different bacteria that are classified as Staphylococcus, the most common is Staphylococcus aureus. An estimated 2 percent of the population carries the MSRA strain of staph bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
You can carry the bacteria and not be sick. However, in some cases, it can lead to a life-threatening illness, especially if you have a weakened immune system or are in a healthcare setting.
Fortunately, MRSA infections have declined significantly over the past decade. A CDC study found that MRSA infections in hospitals declined 54 percent from 2005 to 2011 and there were 9,000 fewer deaths in 2011 than 2005 as a result of MRSA.
MRSA skin infections commonly occur where you already have a cut or skin abrasion through which the bacteria can enter your body, and on areas of the body that are covered by hair (e.g., back of neck, groin, buttock, armpit, or beard area of men).
The first sign of a MRSA infection is usually a small pimple that is sometimes mistaken for a spider bite. The bump may be:
If you suspect you have a staph infection or if you have a fever, schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately.
In the interim, cleanse the area thoroughly with soap and warm water and cover with a bandage. Do not try to squeeze out the pus yourself as dirty fingers and nails might only make the infection worse.
Your doctor may need to lance and drain the area of the infection. He or she may also prescribe antibiotics to help clear up the infection.
In a hospital, nursing home, or other healthcare setting such as a dialysis center, symptoms tend to be more severe.
Infections with hospital-acquired MRSA, or HA-MRSA, may be in the bloodstream, heart, lungs, other organs, urine, or in the area of a recent surgery.
Typical symptoms of HA-MRSA may include:
HA-MRSA infections are diagnosed through a culture of your tissues or nasal secretions. Your doctor will prescribe an appropriate oral antibiotic for you to treat the infection.
If you dont respond to treatment, you may need to receive antibiotics intravenously. The two most commonly prescribed are vancomycin (Vancocin) and dalbavancin (Dalvance).
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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), sometimes known as a superbug, is caused by a strain of staph bacteria that has become resistant to many antibiotics.
It can be life-threatening and is often found in hospitals, healthcare settings, and in crowded areas like college dorms, military bases, and prisons.
An estimated 2 percent of the U.S. population carries the MSRA strain of staph bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), compared to one-third of the population that carries other forms of the staph bacteria.
You can be a carrier of the bacteria and never get sick, but in some cases it can cause a life-threatening infection.
MRSA infections have declined significantly over the past decade. A CDC study found that there were 9,000 fewer deaths in 2011 than 2005 as a result of MRSA, and 38,000 fewer cases in 2011 than 2005, a 54 percent decline.
MRSA can enter the body through a cut, scratch, or bug bite; in these instances it is most likely to cause a skin infection, soft skin tissue infection, boil, or abscess.
When the infection occurs in a healthcare setting (sometimes called hospital-acquired MRSA or HA-MRSA), symptoms typically include:
All forms of staph infection are diagnosed from a culture. Your doctor will test your nasal secretions or take a blood culture or tissue sample to see if they contain the staph bacteria, including MRSA.
The sample is put in a dish of nutrients that encourage bacterial growth. It takes one to two days to get the results of the test.
If you have a MRSA skin infection, generally from community-acquired MRSA or CA-MRSA, your doctor may need to drain the sore by making a small incision or lancing it.
Do not try to do this yourself as you may introduce more bacteria into the sore through dirty fingers, or you may push the infection deeper into the skin.
Its vital that the boil or abscess is drained in the appropriate sterile manner so the infection does not get worse or spread to other people.
Treatment of CA-MRSA may also involve the use of antibiotics other than methicillin, such as doxycycline (Doryx, Monodox), minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin), or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, also called TMP-SMX (Bactrim, Septra).
For HA-MRSA infections your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic. Only about 10 percent of staph infections respond to treatment with penicillin, so your doctor will most likely need to give you an alternative drug.
Vancomycin (Vancocin) is a popular alternative, though it may have toxic side effects, including damage to your hearing and kidneys. It is typically given intravenously. Talk to your doctor about its risks and benefits before receiving it.
Dalbavancin (Dalvance) is another drug used to treat MRSA. It received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2014.
Dalvance is also administered intravenously and has side effects including nausea, headache, and diarrhea. Some patients experience elevated liver enzyme levels after taking Dalvance. Your doctor will ensure you receive the proper dosage level.
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