1. Staph Infection Slideshow Pictures
2. MRSA Slideshow Pictures
3. Take the MRSA Quiz!

Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

View Full Profile

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the outcome (prognosis) of MRSA infection varies according to the severity of the infection and the general condition of the person who has the infection. People with good general health who have mild CA-MRSA that is appropriately treated recover in almost every case. Mild skin infections and even some moderate infections (boils, small abscess) can have an excellent prognosis if treated early and effectively. Other more serious or extensive MRSA infections have a range of prognoses (outcomes) from good to poor. MRSA pneumonia and sepsis (blood poisoning) have high death rates; the calculated death rate of invasive MRSA is about 20%.

Data are sparse on the on recurrence of MRSA infections. The recurrence rate of MRSA infection in mild cases is thought to be very low, but some investigators report that patients may be carriers for up to 30 months, so it is possible for a carrier to have a contagious period for this length of time. One group of investigators reports a 21% recurrence rate in HIV patients nine months after the initial diagnosis. Other investigators report a recurrence rate of 41% in individuals with MRSA skin infections. Most investigators agree that strict hygiene helps reduce the risk of recurrent infections.

As mentioned above, complications of MRSA can be serious and include sepsis, pneumonia, organ damage, tissue loss and scarring due to necessary surgery, and one that is due to antibiotic treatment, intestinal infection by the anaerobic organism Clostridium difficile. This organism and the problems it causes merit another article (see reference 4); it, too, is treatable but it may markedly extend the recovery time for a MRSA-infected patient.

Must Read Articles Related to MRSA Infection

Abscess An abscess is has several causes and can appear on many parts of the body, such as the dental, vaginal, and rectal areas. In general, home remedies or cures are...learn more >>

Antibiotics Antibiotics are prescribed to individuals to cure disease by killing bacteria. There are over 100 antibiotics. The main classes of antibiotics include penicilli...learn more >>

Boils A boil is a skin infection that is caused by bacteria, usually Staphylococcus. Fever, swollen lymph nodes, and red, painful, and swollen skin are symptoms of bo...learn more >>

See the Entire MRSA Infection Topic Guide »