The following was prepared by the CDC and published on Maryland Patient Safety Center Web site:
MRSA—a little known germ with a big name—has captured the attention of news media throughout the nation. The recent news about the number of individuals infected with or at risk of developing a staph infection—or the more serious Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection—in local communities has created concern among schools, parents, community organizations, and other places where people congregate.
Because the majority of invasive MRSA infections occur in hospitals and other health care settings, health care providers have decades of experience in combating these and other germs. However, combating MRSA requires a concerted effort by more than hospital and health care providers—it requires vigilance and attention by us all.
What are Staph Infections and MRSA?
Staphylococcus aureus (staph) is a germ that often lives in the noses and on the skin of healthy people and spreads from person to person on contaminated hands, skin, and objects. Most infections caused by staph are skin infections, but staph can also cause more serious infections such as blood and joint infections, and pneumonia.
Some staph called MRSA has been featured in the news and on television programs a great deal recently. MRSA stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This type of bacteria causes infections that are resistant to treatment with usual antibiotics.
MRSA occurs most frequently among patients who undergo invasive medical procedures or who have weakened immune systems and are being treated in hospitals and health care facilities such as nursing homes, ambulatory surgery centers, and dialysis centers. MRSA in health care settings may cause serious and potentially life threatening infections.
MRSA can also involve people in the community at large, generally as skin infections that may look like insect bites, pimples or boils and can be swollen, painful and have draining pus. These skin infections often occur in otherwise healthy people.
What are Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms?
They are bacteria and other microorganisms that have developed resistance to antimicrobial drugs. Common examples of these organisms include:
- MRSA – methicillin/oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
- VRE – vancomycin-resistant enterococci
- ESBLs – extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (which are resistant to cephalosporins and monobactams)
- PRSP – penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae
MRSA and VRE are the most commonly encountered multidrug-resistant organisms in patients residing in non-hospital health care facilities, such as nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. PRSP are more common in patients seeking care in outpatient settings such as physicians’ offices and clinics, especially in pediatric settings.
How is MRSA Spread in Health Care Settings?
Patients who already have MRSA infection or who carry the bacteria on their bodies but do not have symptoms (colonized) are the most common sources of transmission. The main mode of transmission to other patients is through human hands.
Hands may become contaminated with MRSA bacteria by contact with infected or colonized patient
