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MRSA Infection (cont.)

MRSA Infection Overview
How Common Is MRSA?
MRSA Infection Causes
MRSA Infection Risk Factors
MRSA Infection Symptoms
When to Seek Medical Care
MRSA Infection Diagnosis
MRSA Infection Treatment
MRSA Infection Prevention
MRSA Infection Prognosis
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Viewer Comments: MRSA - Describe Your Experience

MRSA Infection Prevention

The best way to avoid MRSA infection is not making direct contact with skin, clothing, or any items that come in contact with either MRSA patients or MRSA. This is often not possible because MRSA-infected individuals or MRSA carriers are not immediately identifiable. A first step is excellent hygiene practices (for example, hand washing with soap after personal contact or toilet use, washing clothes potentially in contact with MRSA patients or carriers, and using disposable items such as gloves when treating MRSA patients). Antiseptic solutions and wipes are available at most stores to both clean hands and surfaces that may contact MRSA. These are useful at home, in gyms, or almost any public place such as a public restroom.

Another prevention method is to treat and cover (for example, antiseptic cream and a Band-Aid) any skin breaks. Pregnant women need to consult with their doctors if they are infected or are carriers of MRSA. Although MRSA is not transmitted to infants by breastfeeding, there are a few reports that infants can be infected by their MRSA-positive mothers, but this seems to be an infrequent situation. Some pregnant MRSA carriers have been successfully treated with the antibiotic mupirocin cream.

MRSA Infection Prognosis

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. MRSA pneumonia and blood poisoning have high death rates; the calculated death rate of invasive MRSA is about 20%. People with good general health who have mild CA-MRSA that is appropriately treated recover in almost every case. Data on recurrence is sparse. 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. 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.