Staphylococcus Aureus Part 1

For the last decade, the subject of antibiotic resistant bacteria in regards to public safety and health has increased significantly as fewer and fewer antibiotics are able to treat infections. One bacterium has caused a significant startle among the general public, doctors, researchers, and hospital officials around the world. Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), a dangerous strain of common bacteria found on many orifices of the human body of most of the world’s population has become a great threat to the quality of life provided to patients in hospitals. In an effort to combat this ever growing and evolving problem, people around the world have been devising solutions to this issue by experimenting with new and old forms of the strain to figure out what makes this strain of bacteria so capable against our natural defenses. While research continues into discovering the exact mechanics of this terrible strain, others have been working to correct the infection control policies of countries with higher percentages of resistant strains of Staph (Staphylococcus). Although it has been the worlds plan to continue making antibiotics in order to combat harmful strains of bacteria, I personally believe it is now becoming clear that it is only part of the solution, and that we need to rely less on our use of antibiotics and more on our knowledge of prevention if we ever want to see a decrease in the resistance of newer strains of bacteria.

In order to understand how to defeat S. Aureus (Staphylococcus Aureus), we must first understand what it is and how it is contracted. There is plenty of valuable information about Staph infections at kidshealth.org. S. Aureus is a bacterium that is commonly found on approximately 25% of the world’s population without causing any problems. However, when there is a break in a person’s skin, the bacteria can infect the wound and impair the individual’s health. In addition, this bacterium is part of a family of about 30 species of staph infections which all cause different types of illnesses. However, most staph infections are caused by the strain S. Aureus. Teens who receive staph infections usually have mild cases of the bacteria. This is common in college setting when students live in close quarters and the bacteria are able to pass through skin to skin contact. However, unlike bacteria that are nearly exclusively transferred in locker rooms, that cause athletes foot and plantar warts, this bacteria is usually caused from people sharing towels, clothes, and bed linens with someone who has an infection. People who have suffered a burn or have re-occurring eczema (very dry skin), have an increased chance of receiving a staph infection. Staph infections thrive in warm, wet places, so increased sweating can increase the chance of a staph infection. According to those who have written about Staph infections at webmd.com, there are varying types of staph infections. They state that

“these staph infections range from a simple boil to antibiotic-resistant infections to flesh-eating infections. The difference between all these is how deep and how fast the infection spreads, and how treatable it is with antibiotics. The antibiotic-resistant infections are more common in North America, because of our overuse of antibiotics.

The type of staph infection that involves skin is called cellulitis and affects the skin's deeper layers. It is treatable with antibiotics.

This type of infection is very common in the general population -- and more common and more severe in people with weak immune systems. People who have diabetes or weakened immunity are particularly prone to developing cellulitis,” (Staph Infections).

This is the essence of what a staph infection is, but when and why have these infections become a serious problem?

Staphylococcus Aureus Part 2

Symptoms are listed on WebMD.com for signs of cellulitis.

Staph infections can begin in many different forms, and cannot always be identified right away. However, one common beginning is a small area of tender, swollen or reddened skin. Other times infections first show signs with a very noticeable open sore. Unfortunately, is not always noticeable, and it will usually be impossible to figure out where the infection originated with any certainty. Folliculitis is an infections of the hair follicles (area under the skin where hair grows), and will present symptoms including white-headed pimples at the base of the hair.

It can be caused by shaving hair or irritation of an area by clothing rubbing against sensitive skin. Furuncles are boils and are painful lumps that fill with pus and grow until they burst, allowing the pus to drain.

Groups of furuncles are called carbuncles, and patients with them have been known to feel sick. Impetigo is a superficial (relating to, affecting or located on or near the surface of something) skin infection of the face, hands and feet that usually only affects younger children.

It isn’t painful, but can be itchy and spread through scratching. It usually appears as a pimple then becomes crusted over. Hordeolum’s, commonly known as a stye are infections of the eyelids. Painful swelling at the edge of the eyelid results from irritation of eyelashes.

Wound infections, caused by accident or surgery usually show symptoms within two days of the event. Patients may feel feverish and show signs of redness, pain, swelling, warmth, pus and cloudy fluid.

In most cases, the results are commonly folliculitis, boils, impetigo, and cellulitis. In other cases, S. Aureus has been known to release toxins into the body that can cause food poisoning or in some extreme cases, toxic shock syndrome. Toxic shock syndrome very rarely occurs, but the effects are very serious. TSS (toxic shock syndrome) is caused by two bacteria; Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Since TSS is a systemic illness (an illness that affects the entire body), the symptoms are often obvious. These symptoms can be found on the TSS page of kidshealth.org. Symptoms occur suddenly and can include, a high fever, rapid drop in blood pressure, sunburn-like rash on the entire body, vomiting and diarrhea, severe muscle aches or weakness, bright red coloring of the yes, throat and vagina, headache, confusion, disorientation, or seizures, and kidney and other organ failure. This all usually occurs approximately 2 or 3 days after infection. In addition, scalded skin syndrome is also a possibility with a staph infection. Scalded skin syndrome is a very rare disease, even in children which is the age group usually affected by this disease. It also has a low mortality rate, but it can be painful and needs to be addressed. Toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus causes Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome (SSSS). The result of the released toxins is an infection usually in the nasal and oral cavities, as well as the throat and umbilicus. A red rash develops and the toxins begin to break down patches or sheets of epidermal skin. Epidermal skin is the first of the three layers of skin (Epidermis, Dermis, and Hypodermis). Although it is more common in developing countries, SSSS is still a very serious condition until it is treated.

Most infections do not become serious; however, it is important to be aware of how staph infections become dangerous. When bacteria manage to enter the bloodstream through breaks in the skin, it is said to be a serious staph infection. This is because the bacteria are then capable of affecting almost any part of the body (lungs, heart, central nervous system, bones, etc.). People with weakened immune systems, such as chemotherapy patients, are the ones who most commonly receive these more serious infections. In any surgery, doctors and surgery staff take all the precautions to avoid infection, and their work is effective. Even MRSA affected surgery patients, although more difficult to heal, do so with the proper treatment. What treatments are available though, and what works?