Home > Uncategorized > How Can I Protect Myself from MRSA?

How Can I Protect Myself from MRSA?

February 8th, 2009 Leave a comment Go to comments

handwashingMRSA (pronounced MERSA), is actually Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. It is a long name for something that only takes a short time to infect the human body.

The very young and the very old are most vulnerable. So are dialysis, cancer, nursing home and immunocompromised patients.

CDC reported in 2007

Invasive (serious) MRSA infections numbered 94,000, of those 18,000, more than died of HIV/AIDS

Of all Staph infections, about 60% of them is MRSA

2% of S. aureus (STAPH) infections in U.S. intensive-care units were MRSA in 1974, 22% in 1995, and 64% in 2004.

MRSA can infect skin, blood, bones, lungs, and organs. It can move from one part of the body to another.

MRSA can live up to 3 months on a non host surface if not disinfected. On a host surface (skin, nose, lungs) it can live indefinitely.

The two most common MRSA diseases are CA or Community Acquired MRSA and HA or Hospital Acquired MRSA. The two organisms used to differ in their DNA, but recently there seems to be a merging of the two.

MRSA infections can disable or kill otherwise healthy individuals.

Ways to avoid MRSA

Wash your hands frequently and practice good hygiene

Cover your open wounds and don’t touch other people’s wounds without gloves

Don’t share towels, razors or other personal devices.

Tell others if you are infected and avoid close contact with others who are infected

Demand that your health care workers wash their hands before contact.

Keep frequently touched surfaces disinfected.

About 30% of us have Staph in our noses. Ask for a MRSA nasal culture if you are going to have surgery or if you are an at risk hospital admission.

  1. October 22nd, 2011 at 12:52 | #1

    Seriously, what a blog! I mean, you just have a fantastic deal of guts to go forward and tell it like it is. You happen to be what running a weblog ought to have, an open minded superhero who isn’t frightened to tell it like it truly is. This really is surely something folks need to be up on. Great luck inside the foreseeable future, man.

  1. No trackbacks yet.