Don's Home Health Staph Infection
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Staph is one of the most common types of infections. The most common is skin infection, but it can infect the blood or in case of my Uncle, bone after a back operation.

It can be transmitted from contact with another person, pet, surface or meat and poultry in grocery stores.

The best prevention is hand washing or use of hand sanitizers containing alcohol.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is the most common species of staphylococci to cause Staph infections. It is a facultative anaerobic Gram-positive coccal bacterium.

Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), is treatable with antibiotics such as methicillin, oxacillin, cloxacillin, cefazolin and flucloxacillin.
Also Cefadroxil a type of antibiotic called a cephalosporin, which works by interfering with the ability of bacteria to form cell walls. It generally distributes well into the lung; kidney; urine; synovial, pleural, and pericardial fluids. It is effective for bacterial infections of the ears, nose or throat, skin or soft tissue, kidneys, urinary tract, and joints.
Cefadroxil is active against many gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Moraxella catarrhalis, E. coli, Klebsiella, and Proteus mirabilis.

However strains of Staphylococcus aureus which are resistant to these antibiotics called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) referred to as a superbug, are now very common.

MRSA is classified as CA-MRSA (community acquired) or HA-MRSA (hospital- or health-care-acquired.) HA-MRSA is commonly acquired thru catheters, IV lines, or other devices.

MRSA requires antibiotics such as Vancomycin, Teicoplanin and Daptomycin or a combination administered by IV.

Currently, MRSA bacteria are almost always found to be resistant to multiple antibiotics. All isolated MRSA strains need to have antibiotic susceptibility determined to choose the correct or appropriate antibiotic therapy.

One major problem with MRSA is that occasionally the skin infection can spread to almost any other organ in the body. When this happens, more severe symptoms develop. Introduction of the bacteria into the bloodstream can lead to various complications, including, but not limited to, endocarditis, meningitis, pneumonia. and sepsis.
Sepsis, sometimes called blood poisoning, can affect the major organs and body systems.
Staphylococcal food poisoning is an illness of the bowels that causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. It is caused by eating foods contaminated with toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus.


Links:
Staph Infection (Staphylococcus Aureus) Symptoms, Causes, Photos and Treatment by MedicineNet.com
MRSA Infection Pictures, Treatment, Symptoms, Prognosis, Diagnosis, Prevention, and Transmission by MedicineNet.com
Hospital-acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) - MicrobeWiki
Infection control strategies for preventing the spread of meticillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in nursing homes for older people - PubMed Health
Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in adults
Daptomycin at ucsf.edu
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last updated 14 Dec 2011