Meticillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

What is Staphylococcus aureus?

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium (germ). It is often called ’S.aureus’ or ‘staph’. S.aureus bacteria are often found on the skin and in the nose of healthy people. In fact, about 3 in 10 people have S. aureus bacteria living on (colonising) their skin. These people are called S.aureus ‘carriers’. In healthy people who are carriers, S. aureus is usually harmless.

However, S.aureus bacteria sometimes invade the skin to cause infection. This is more likely if you have a cut or graze which may allow bacteria to get under the surface of the skin. S.aureus is the cause of skin infections such as boils, pimples, impetigo and skin abscess.

In some people S.aureus can sometimes get into the bloodstream and cause blood poisoning (septicaemia) or lung infection (pneumonia). These serious infections are more likely to occur in people who are already unwell, debilitated, or who have a poor immune system. These ‘staph’ infections can be treated with antibiotics.

What is MRSA?

MRSA stands for Meticillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. MRSA strains are very similar to other strain of S.aureus. Some healthy people are carriers and some people develop the types of infection previously mentioned.

The difference is that most S.aureus infections can be treated with commonly used antibiotics. In recent years some strains of S.aureus have become resistant to certain antibiotics.’ Resistance’ means that it is not destroyed by the antibiotic. MRSA is resistant to the antibiotic called Methicillin a forerunner of flucloxacillin. Although it is no longer used to treat patients, it is still used to test for MRSA. Meticillin resistance means the same as flucloxacillin resistance.

How serious is an MRSA infection?

MRSA strains of bacteria are no more aggressive or infectious than other strains of S.aureus. However, infections could be difficult to treat because its resistance to antibiotics. Some antibiotics are stronger and effective but can cause side effects.

Who gets MRSA?

MRSA occurs most commonly in people how are already in hospital. People who are more prone to MRSA are those who are:

• very ill people who find it difficult to fight off infections
• have damage to the skin such as wounds
• taking antibiotics for long periods
• who have been in hospital for some time

How is MRSA diagnosed?

If an infection with S.aureus is suspected then, depending on the type of infection a sample of blood or urine or a swab will be sent to the ‘lab’ for testing. If S.aureus is detected further tests are done to see which antibiotics will destroy the bacteria. MRSA can be recognised by identifying which antibiotics will destroy the bacteria on testing.

How is S.aureus and MRSA spread and can it be prevented?

S.aureus bacteria (including MRSA) spread from person to person by direct contact with the skin or via a contaminated environment or equipment.

Also a person with S.aureus or MRSA can spread the bacteria from one part of their body to another by touching their wounds or damaged skin.

S.aureus and MRSA will not normally cause a person infection if they are fit and well. The bacteria may get onto your skin, but do you no harm. So for example people who visit patients with MRSA or health care workers who treat people with MRSA are not likely to develop an MRSA infection.

The number of MRSA infections in hospital can be reduced if we all adhere to good hygiene measures. The most important is for all health care workers to wash their hands before and after each patient contact and before carrying out any procedure. This very simple measure reduces the chance of passing on bacteria from patient to patient.

We like to encourage people visiting the hospital to use the hand sanitizer dispensers situated outside all of the wards and clinical areas before and following a visit.