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Top of the page. How is MRSA spread? What are the symptoms of MRSA? How is an infection diagnosed? How is an infection treated? You can also take steps to protect yourself from MRSA. Practice good hygiene. Keep your hands clean by washing them frequently and thoroughly with soap and clean, running water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Hand-washing is the best way to avoid spreading germs. Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage, and avoid contact with other people's wounds or bandages. Do not share personal items such as towels or razors. Be smart about using antibiotics. Know that antibiotics can help treat bacterial infections but they cannot cure viral infections. Always ask your doctor if antibiotics are the best treatment.
These results demonstrate the need for thorough contact control and meticulous disinfection procedures to limit the spread of bacteria. MRSA frequently causes illness in people with a compromised immune system who spend time in the hospital and other healthcare facilities. A person will have a higher risk of developing healthcare-associated MRSA in the hospital if they have had surgery recently or if they have:.
MRSA is less common outside a healthcare setting. If it does occur, it is more likely to be a skin infection, although some people develop pneumonia and other infections.
People can reduce the risk by practicing appropriate hand washing, keeping wounds clean, avoiding sharing personal items — such as towels and razors, and seeking early treatment if any symptoms of an infection appear. Children can develop MRSA through an open wound.
Find out how to recognize it and what to do. Many people carry MRSA bacteria in their mucosa, for instance, inside the nose, but they may never develop symptoms that indicate an active infection. Staph skin infections, including MRSA, appear as a bump or sore area of the skin that can resemble an insect bite. The infected area might be :. Symptoms of a serious MRSA infection in the blood or deep tissues may include :.
The following guidelines can help patients, healthcare workers, and visitors prevent MRSA infections from spreading in the hospital:. It may be necessary for a patient with an MRSA infection to stay in their room until treatment is complete.
People can reduce the risk of community-associated MRSA outside of hospitals by:. Experts are concerned about MRSA and other bacteria that have developed resistance to certain antibiotics. Photos of MRSA infections. What if I see these symptoms? Getting medical care early makes it less likely that the infection will become serious.
If you or someone in your family experiences the signs and symptoms of MRSA: Contact your healthcare provider, especially if the symptoms are accompanied by a fever. Do not pick at or pop the sore. Cover the area with clean, dry bandages until you can see a healthcare provider. Clean your hands often.
Cover your wounds with clean, dry bandages until healed. Pus from infected wounds can contain MRSA. Throw away bandages and tape with the regular trash. You, your family, and others in close contact should wash hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub, especially: after changing a bandage after touching an infected wound after touching dirty clothes Do not share personal items such as towels, washcloths, razors, and clothing, including uniforms.
Wash laundry before use by others and clean your hands after touching dirty clothes. Get Email Updates. Swabs may be taken from several places, such as your nose, throat, armpits, groin or any damaged skin. This is painless and only takes a few seconds. If you're not carrying MRSA, it's unlikely you'll be contacted about the result and you should follow the instructions from the hospital.
You may need treatment to remove the bacteria to reduce your risk of getting an infection or spreading the bacteria. If screening finds MRSA on your skin, you may need treatment to remove it. This is known as decolonisation. Treatment is normally done at home, but may be started after going into hospital if you need to be admitted quickly.
These may be taken as tablets or given as injections. Treatment can last a few days to a few weeks. During treatment, you may need to stay in your own room or in a ward with other people who have an MRSA infection to help stop it spreading.
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