What are the differences between normal Staphylococcus aureus infections and MRS!
Question: What are the differences between normal Staphylococcus aureus infections and MRSA infections!?
I urgently need to know what are the differences in treatment, such as what type of antibiotics are used, as well as the duration of treatment and the potential side effects!. For example, can the person with a normal infection just get antibiotics and then go home, and does the person with MRSA have to be hospitalised!? Also, what are the differences in cost of treatment!? Is there more pain involved with MRSA!? Are there differences in the seriousness of each!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Hello,
I agree with the previous answer, but think it maybe a bit technical!.
'Staphylococcus aureus' is the name of the bacterium, using the usual "Genus - species" description, - - same as in, 'Homo sapiens!.'
'Staphylococcus' because the bacterium occurs in clumps of round blue bacteria under the microscope, 'aureus' because infection with this bacterium usually produces gold- coloured pus!. 'Staphylococcus' is usually abbreviated to 'Staph!.'
The distinction between Staph!. aureus and 'methicillin- resistant Staph!. aureus' (MRSA) is just in, which antibiotics the bacterium is killed off by!.
In the old days when Penicillin first became available, (in the early 1940's), straight 'unflavoured' penicillin would kill all Staphylococcus bacteria in existence at that time!. However, since then, Staph have become resistant to Penicillin by a mechanism which is much the same as Darwin's Natural Selection, - - survival of the fittest!. These bacteria were then referred to as 'Penicillin-resistant Staph!. aureus!.'
The Laboratory boys and the Drug Companies got busy!. They discovered that Penicillin-resistant Staph!. were able to survive by producing an enzyme called 'penicillinase!.' They produced new versions of Penicillin which were active against penicillinase-producing Staph!. These new penicillins were called 'Cloxacillin' and 'Methicillin!.'
The Staph!. bacteria never gave up, however, and in time a doubly- resistant bacterium evolved which is resistant to both ordinary Penicillin and Cloxacillin/Methicillin!. This new variant was called Methicillin- resistant Staph!. aureus!.
The main difficulty is that MRSA infections have to be treated by other, newer antibiotics given intra-venously in a drip!. Both Cloxacillin and Methicillin were active by mouth (tablets), but these newer antibiotics are not!.
Doctors are keen to prevent a new, triply-resistant Staph!.emerging which is resistant to the newer, intra-venous antibiotics too!. Hence they tend to give a mixture of two or three antibiotics together, to prevent resistance emerging, (the same thing has to be done for multiply drug- resistant tuberculosis)!.
The intravenous ('I!.V!.') antibiotics are more expensive than the oral penicillins, and have to be given in a hospital!.
The patient is not allowed to go home still carrying a methicilin-resistant bacterium!. This is because the MRSA bacterium originated in hospitals, and is still mostly confined to them!. If you pick up a Staph!. infection out in the community, say a Staphylococcal skin infection for example, it's unlikely to be methicillin- resistant!.
MRSA patients have to be hospitalized, (a) to confine the bug, and (b) to allow the use of intravenous antibiotics!.
The MRSA is really no more lethal than than its methicillin- sensitive predecessors, - - I mean that a man or woman in good health can normally shake the germ off, whichever it is, - - but if they need help to throw it off, that help is less readily available in a tablet form than it used to be!.
The duration of IV treatment is usually a few days!.
The newer IV antibiotics have more side-effects than penicillin does, which is partly why the patient has to be watched in hospital!. Penicillin essentially has no side-effects, so long as you're not allergic to it!.
MRSA infection tends to progress in weak patients to a more severe stage, although IV antibiotics help!. It is this more severe stage which is more painful, and more serious, - - not the specific deadliness of the bacterium itself!.
I think that's covered most of your points!. Hope this is of some help!.
Best wishes,
Belliger (retired uk gp)Www@Answer-Health@Com
I agree with the previous answer, but think it maybe a bit technical!.
'Staphylococcus aureus' is the name of the bacterium, using the usual "Genus - species" description, - - same as in, 'Homo sapiens!.'
'Staphylococcus' because the bacterium occurs in clumps of round blue bacteria under the microscope, 'aureus' because infection with this bacterium usually produces gold- coloured pus!. 'Staphylococcus' is usually abbreviated to 'Staph!.'
The distinction between Staph!. aureus and 'methicillin- resistant Staph!. aureus' (MRSA) is just in, which antibiotics the bacterium is killed off by!.
In the old days when Penicillin first became available, (in the early 1940's), straight 'unflavoured' penicillin would kill all Staphylococcus bacteria in existence at that time!. However, since then, Staph have become resistant to Penicillin by a mechanism which is much the same as Darwin's Natural Selection, - - survival of the fittest!. These bacteria were then referred to as 'Penicillin-resistant Staph!. aureus!.'
The Laboratory boys and the Drug Companies got busy!. They discovered that Penicillin-resistant Staph!. were able to survive by producing an enzyme called 'penicillinase!.' They produced new versions of Penicillin which were active against penicillinase-producing Staph!. These new penicillins were called 'Cloxacillin' and 'Methicillin!.'
The Staph!. bacteria never gave up, however, and in time a doubly- resistant bacterium evolved which is resistant to both ordinary Penicillin and Cloxacillin/Methicillin!. This new variant was called Methicillin- resistant Staph!. aureus!.
The main difficulty is that MRSA infections have to be treated by other, newer antibiotics given intra-venously in a drip!. Both Cloxacillin and Methicillin were active by mouth (tablets), but these newer antibiotics are not!.
Doctors are keen to prevent a new, triply-resistant Staph!.emerging which is resistant to the newer, intra-venous antibiotics too!. Hence they tend to give a mixture of two or three antibiotics together, to prevent resistance emerging, (the same thing has to be done for multiply drug- resistant tuberculosis)!.
The intravenous ('I!.V!.') antibiotics are more expensive than the oral penicillins, and have to be given in a hospital!.
The patient is not allowed to go home still carrying a methicilin-resistant bacterium!. This is because the MRSA bacterium originated in hospitals, and is still mostly confined to them!. If you pick up a Staph!. infection out in the community, say a Staphylococcal skin infection for example, it's unlikely to be methicillin- resistant!.
MRSA patients have to be hospitalized, (a) to confine the bug, and (b) to allow the use of intravenous antibiotics!.
The MRSA is really no more lethal than than its methicillin- sensitive predecessors, - - I mean that a man or woman in good health can normally shake the germ off, whichever it is, - - but if they need help to throw it off, that help is less readily available in a tablet form than it used to be!.
The duration of IV treatment is usually a few days!.
The newer IV antibiotics have more side-effects than penicillin does, which is partly why the patient has to be watched in hospital!. Penicillin essentially has no side-effects, so long as you're not allergic to it!.
MRSA infection tends to progress in weak patients to a more severe stage, although IV antibiotics help!. It is this more severe stage which is more painful, and more serious, - - not the specific deadliness of the bacterium itself!.
I think that's covered most of your points!. Hope this is of some help!.
Best wishes,
Belliger (retired uk gp)Www@Answer-Health@Com
From Wikipedia:
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans!. It may also be referred to as multiple-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA)!. MRSA are by definition strains of Staphylococcus aureus that are resistant to a large group of antibiotics called the beta-lactams, which include the penicillins and the cephalosporins!.
The organism is often sub-categorized as Community-Associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) or Health Care-Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) although this distinction is complex!. Some have defined CA-MRSA by criteria related to patients suffering from a MRSA infection while other authors have defined CA-MRSA by genetic characteristics of the bacteria themselves!. CA-MRSA strains were first reported in the late 1990s; these cases were defined by a lack of exposure to the health care setting!. In the next several years, it became clear that CA-MRSA infections were caused by strains of MRSA that differed from the older and better studied healthcare-associated strains!. [1] The new CA-MRSA strains have rapidly spread in the United States to become the most common cause of cultured skin infections among individuals seeking medical care for these infections at emergency rooms in cities!. These strains also commonly cause skin infections in athletes, jail and prison detainees, soldiers, Native Alaskans and Native Americans, and children in the inner city!.
MRSA is a resistant variation of the common bacterium Staphylococcus aureus!. It has evolved an ability to survive treatment with beta-lactamase resistant beta-lactam antibiotics, including methicillin, dicloxacillin, nafcillin, and oxacillin!. MRSA is especially troublesome in hospital-associated (nosocomial) infections!. In hospitals, patients with open wounds, invasive devices, and weakened immune systems are at greater risk for infection than the general public!. Hospital staff who do not follow proper sanitary procedures may transfer bacteria from patient to patient!.
Www@Answer-Health@Com
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans!. It may also be referred to as multiple-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA)!. MRSA are by definition strains of Staphylococcus aureus that are resistant to a large group of antibiotics called the beta-lactams, which include the penicillins and the cephalosporins!.
The organism is often sub-categorized as Community-Associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) or Health Care-Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) although this distinction is complex!. Some have defined CA-MRSA by criteria related to patients suffering from a MRSA infection while other authors have defined CA-MRSA by genetic characteristics of the bacteria themselves!. CA-MRSA strains were first reported in the late 1990s; these cases were defined by a lack of exposure to the health care setting!. In the next several years, it became clear that CA-MRSA infections were caused by strains of MRSA that differed from the older and better studied healthcare-associated strains!. [1] The new CA-MRSA strains have rapidly spread in the United States to become the most common cause of cultured skin infections among individuals seeking medical care for these infections at emergency rooms in cities!. These strains also commonly cause skin infections in athletes, jail and prison detainees, soldiers, Native Alaskans and Native Americans, and children in the inner city!.
MRSA is a resistant variation of the common bacterium Staphylococcus aureus!. It has evolved an ability to survive treatment with beta-lactamase resistant beta-lactam antibiotics, including methicillin, dicloxacillin, nafcillin, and oxacillin!. MRSA is especially troublesome in hospital-associated (nosocomial) infections!. In hospitals, patients with open wounds, invasive devices, and weakened immune systems are at greater risk for infection than the general public!. Hospital staff who do not follow proper sanitary procedures may transfer bacteria from patient to patient!.
Www@Answer-Health@Com