How can mrsa kill you

Methicillin is an antibiotic that is related to penicillin. It was once effective against Staphylococci staph , a type of bacteria. Over time, staph bacteria have developed a resistance to penicillin-related antibiotics, including methicillin. These resistant bacteria are called methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. Although doctors can no longer use methicillin to treat MRSA, this does not mean that the infection is untreatable. Some antibiotics are effective in treating it.

What is antibiotic resistance? Find out here. Staph bacteria cause infections that can lead to complications ranging in severity from mild to life threatening. MRSA infections can be healthcare-associated or community-associated.

This classification means that they occurred or started in a healthcare setting. The bacteria that cause MRSA are resistant to some but not all antibiotics. A doctor will prescribe medication that is suitable for the particular infection that occurs. A person should make sure that they take the whole course of antibiotics exactly as the doctor prescribes. Some people stop taking the drugs after the symptoms disappear, but this can increase the risk of the infection coming back and becoming resistant to treatment.

MRSA results from infection with bacterial strains that have acquired resistance to particular antibiotics. MRSA can spread from person to person through direct skin-to-skin contact or when a person with MRSA bacteria on their hands touches an object that another person then touches. MRSA bacteria can survive for a long time on surfaces and objects, including fabrics and door handles. In , scientists investigated how long resistant staph could survive on five common hospital fabrics.

They injected the fabrics with colony-forming units of staph and observed the reactions over the following days. These results demonstrate the need for thorough contact control and meticulous disinfection procedures to limit the spread of bacteria. The opioid epidemic may also be connected to the rise of staph infections in communities.

People who inject drugs are 16 times more likely to develop a serious staph infection. More about injection drug use and risk of infection on this factsheet pdf icon [PDF — 2 pages].

The symptoms of a MRSA infection depend on the part of the body that is infected. For example, people with MRSA skin infections often can get swelling, warmth, redness, and pain in infected skin. In most cases it is hard to tell if an infection is due to MRSA or another type of bacteria without laboratory tests that your doctor can order.

Some MRSA skin infections can have a fairly typical appearance and can be confused with a spider bite. However, unless you actually see the spider, the irritation is likely not a spider bite.

Most S. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. General Information. Minus Related Pages. On This Page. What is MRSA? In Healthcare Settings In places such as a hospital or nursing home, MRSA can cause severe problems such as bloodstream infections , pneumonia , or surgical site infections.

Who is at risk? Rely on a professional to drain a boil. Do not try to squeeze it or drain it yourself. If a minor skin injury starts to hurt — a lot, much more than seems normal — be on the lookout. Cellulitis is a deep skin infection caused by staph or streptococcus strep bacteria, including MRSA.

Cellulitis leads to redness, swelling, pain and heat in the skin, sometimes in a large, diffuse area. Impetigo, a skin infection most commonly seen in children, is usually confined to the upper levels of skin.

It can looks very similar to MRSA in some cases, with sores and redness. Impetigo is highly contagious, so you should see a doctor if you suspect either of these conditions.