Wash Hands Before Pushing MRSA Panic Button

Every so often an alarming health story erupts onto the media landscape with such intensity, such ferocity that specialist and subspecialist physicians need to climb out of their cozy, secure enclaves and join forces with the entire medical community to share what they know.

As someone who is deeply nested within the health care matrix, it's good to get out of my cubbyhole and enjoy some fresh air. So long as the air isn't contaminated with MRSA!

MRSA is a familiar abbreviation for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. Translation: A bacteria that is very hard to kill. Resistance means the bacteria adapted and it developed a way to prevent the antibiotic Methicillin from interfering with cell wall synthesis. Imagine a neighbor who was trying to prevent you from erecting a sturdy privacy fence on your property. Wouldn't you adapt and devise a scheme to get your privacy fence built?

The whole topic of drug-resistant bacteria has been around for decades. It was discussed when I was in medical school (think Jimmy Carter), but at the time it was mostly theoretical - clinical examples were fairly uncommon and manageable.

When an organisim becomes resistant to antibiotic #1 go with antibiotic #2, right? Originally, there were alternative antibiotics to treat these stubborn infections but over time more and more resistant strains evolved. Eventually the medicine cabinet can become empty.

So long as physicians prescribe antibiotics in a judicious manner and alternate antibiotics for those being treated for chronic infections, the problem with drug resistance can be greatly minimized (forgive the oxymoron...greatly minimized!)

In dangerous environments where there are lots of infections and lots of antibiotics the prospects for the emergence of drug resistant strains become very real. We call this dangerous environment a hospital!

For many years MRSA thrived in hospitals. Folks recovering from surgery were the prime MRSA targets because healing wounds are an easy passageway for germs. MRSA infections extend hospitalizations, generate huge expenses, and cause life-threatening complications.

Global warming did not cause MRSA. Illegal immigrants do not cause MRSA. Adaptive genetics inside the bacteria's DNA permitted the germ to develop drug resistance.

Stop yawning, here comes the exciting part! It now appears that the threat of MRSA has checked-out of the hospital and is prevalent in many new environments like schools, offices, and clinics. Staphylcoccus aureus is a very common bacteria responsible for pimples and ordinary skin infections. A few days of any popular broad-spectrum antibiotic would usually fix the problem. Not any more! People who were never near a hospital are contracting MRSA infections. As expected, routine antibiotics are ineffective, forcing physicians to prescribe newer and more powerful drugs.

I've got two helpful recommendations to alleviate your MRSA anxiety:

1. Frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitizers are the best ways to protect yourself from MRSA at home, at work, anywhere; and



2. If you develop any kind of infection (infected wound, abscess, cellulitis, pneumonia, etc) go ahead and ask the doctor, "Do you think this might be MRSA?" It never hurts to prompt your doctor and give both of you a headstart to full recovery.

Related Topics:

• MRSA Rising: Who's At Risk?
• Understanding MRSA Prevention

Technorati Tags: MRSA, staph, infection, community infection, hygiene