The Emergence of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

Health care providers and visitors are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow strict hand hygiene procedures. Contaminated rooms, surfaces, and laundry items are properly disinfected to prevent the spread of MRSA. In addition to policy and procedures, patient teaching is also helpful for preventing exposure and spread of MRSA. As aforementioned earlier, hand hygiene is key to prevent exposer or transmission of the bacteria. To properly wash your hand effectively, first scrub hands rapidly for at least 15 seconds. Next, use a disposable towel to dry them and another towel to turn off the faucet. In addition, hand sanitizer that contains 62 percent or more of alcohol may be an adequate substitute when the individual does not have access to soap and water (Mayo Clinic Staff,

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.

When penicillin was released to the public in 1944, it was a miracle drug. Infections that had been killers were suddenly treatable. Doctors recommended it generously, both for illnesses that needed it and illnesses that didn’t. Before long, however, it took much stronger doses to see penicillin’s effects. When the antibiotic arms race began in 1944, most physicians assumed that new antibiotics would be discovered or created to keep up with the evolving resistance in bacteria, but the bacteria are constantly evolving new defenses and doctors are starting to run low on antibiotic ammunition. MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is one of many types of bacteria

Toxic Shock Syndrome, also known simply as TSS, is a life threatening illness caused by a bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus. TSS was first discovered in children in 1978 (Venkataraman, 2015). After the 1978 discovery, the disease itself was nationally recognized in 1980 when it was seen as a health threat amongst reproductive women. After this epidemic the number of reports of TSS decreased sharply (Hajjeh, 2010). Staphylococcus aureus can be identified as bacteria that, often times will go unnoticed as it usually does not cause any harm. Around 30% of the world?s population carries this bacterium in their noses.

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.

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.

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive coccal bacterium which is estimated to have colonised 20-30% of the human population.1,2,3 S. aureus is normally found in the anterior nares and mucous membranes of these individuals. For the majority, this is not a problem as these people are colonised, not infected.2,3 However S. aureus is an opportunistic pathogen and if it contaminates a breach in the skin or mucous membranes, it can go on to infect any tissue in the body.3 Infection may lead to serious life threatening diseases such as pneumonia.4 Over time strains of S. aureus were able to develop resistance to antibiotics, resulting in strains known as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

The reason this disease has been able to infect more and more people over time is because MRSA is a strain of staph that has become resistant to certain antibiotics that would normally be used to treat normal staph infections.

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.

Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria. It stains Gram positive and is non-moving small round shaped or non-motile cocci. It is found in grape-like (staphylo-) clusters. is one of the five most common causes of infections after injury or surgery. It affects around 500,000 patients in American hospitals annually. It is abbreviated to “S. aureus” or “Staph aureus” in medical literature. S. aureus was discovered in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1880 by the surgeon Sir Alexander Ogston in pus from surgical abscesses. (Mandal, 2012).

When they saw that the medicine was kinda working they used it on other people. A huge amount of people were living because of this drug but shortage of the drug was a problem. When penicillin reached the public, the demand for the medicine greatly increased. The supply was limited because it was used to treat soldiers in the war but when the war ended more people could get the medicine to treat themselves and their families.

Since the beginning, humanity has overcome diseases that could potentially wipe out the human race. From earliest forms diseases such as measles to modern day pandemics such as AIDS, mankind has survived throughout history. Though diseases have plagued society it was only after the outbreak of the HIV virus in 1981 that brought to attention the dangers of incurable diseases. Before this time, with World War I and II, and the Cold War, public fear was based on the potential chance of a nuclear destruction of the planet. Since the outbreak of the HIV in 1981, public anxiety has been displaced from nuclear winter to that of microbial plagues. The enemy was now no longer a visible foe but that of an unknown contagion with no knowable cure. Recently in 2009, with the outbreak of the Swine Flu (H1N1) Virus public alert of the dangers of contagions increased. Science Fiction films since the outbreak of HIV have reflected the public fear of the unknown and unbeatable contagions. Films such as Outbreak (1995), Contagion (2011) and the recent World War Z (2013) have shown audiences a creative window of possible outcomes of an epidemic and what man would do in order to stop the

As nurses, taking care of patients with MRSA can be seen in everyday practice. It can be seen in patients with sepsis from an infected wound, patients who have pneumonia, or patients who only have a colonization for it (“Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 2015”). Regardless if it’s colonization or an active infection, and the source of the infection, proper policies and procedures are in place to reduce the transmission of MRSA to other patients in the hospital or nursing home setting. This includes performing proper hand hygiene and standard precautions, as well as wearing protective gown and gloves when entering the patient’s room. It is very important to adhere to these policies and procedures and educate others on the importance of these policies and procedures to reduce the transmission of MRSA to others.

What is the prediction for staph infections?The prediction or consequence of staph infections depends upon the type of contagion that is immediate as well as other element such as the degree to which the influence has spread and the basic iatrical qualification of the patient. Skin infections and shallow infections, in common, are promptly restorative with antibiotics. In rare inclose, these infections may disperse and source complications, contain sepsis (disperse of contagion to the bloodstream). It is significant to mention that even after infection antibiotics for a staph contagion you can still develop a repeat implication.Widespread infections such as sepsis have a more circumspect prognosis; mortality (death) standard row from 20%-40% in conjuncture of Staph aureus contagion of the bloodstream. Before antibiotics were ready, about 80% of followers with S. aureus sepsis died from complications of the arrangement. People with smother protected systems (those alluring unpunished-suppressing medications or with immune deficiencies) are at increased exposure for development more serious infections.Staphylococcal food vitiate typically resolves on its own without lingering-expression complications.

Diseases are everywhere and now that our population has been growing more and more past the years, it makes it easy to