Resistant Staph Infections on Rise: Doctors Recommend Methods to Prevent MRSA

Oct 28, 06:48 AM

Current Headlines: By Dariush Shafa, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

Oct. 28--On Friday, a local health department official told the Messenger-Inquirer that the region has seen very few cases of MRSA, and local school districts reported the same findings.

But after reading the article, some local physicians said that doesn't match what they are seeing. They said resistant staph infections are on the rise and the bugs behind them are nastier, easier to spread and deadly.

In previous years, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA, was rare outside the medical setting. Now, a community-acquired variant of the bug is running rampant throughout the community, and this version of the bug is tougher, more aggressive and easier to pass to others.

"It seems to be getting more widespread. Anybody I see with a draining wound, I have to think of that first," said Dr. Alben Shockley, a physician at Convenient Care on Mayfair Avenue. "It used to be a bacteria seen in the hospital. It's out in the world now so everybody needs to be very aware of it."

MRSA can be carried by a person without symptoms, what doctors call being "colonized." The real problem arises from MRSA infecting wounds on the skin. If untreated, the infection can spread to the bloodstream, and that puts it in a position to be fatal.

MRSA must be confirmed through either growing a culture or by doing a genetic-marker test, which searches for key genetic patterns that only MRSA has.

"It seems like we're seeing more abcesses and cysts, and the cultures are coming up predominantly MRSA," Shockley said.

Shockley said he's seen four likely cases of MRSA this week. Dr. Donald Neel, a pediatrician, said he's seen three likely cases. In most of these cases, the infection is present somewhere on the body, such as on the arms or legs, where it isn't usually seen.

"I can't remember the last time I saw a staph infection on the skin that wasn't MRSA," Neel said. "Our assumption is that if it's on the skin, it's MRSA."

Neel said MRSA looks like a spider bite, but "spider bites are uncommon. Staph infections are very common."

Though it's not showing up in health department figures, Neel said that's probably because MRSA is not a "reportable" disease, meaning it's not required to track numbers on it. He also said it's not something school systems are very aware of until doctors see it and notify them.

"It's much more out there than the schools know," Neel said.

Fearing it, Neel said, is going to an extreme, but he is being very vocal about it because early recognition and treatment are essential. That's why educating people is important.

"Respect it," he said. "It is extremely common, it is a very dangerous bacteria, it needs to be diagnosed early, and it needs to be treated correctly."

MRSA has gained plenty of attention nationally, especially with the death of a seventh-grade student in New York. In Lexington, a kindergarten student and an elementary-school worker were both diagnosed with MRSA in addition to three other unconfirmed cases in a Lafayette High School student, a Scott County High School student and a Woodford County jail inmate.

"It's not just in Owensboro or in Kentucky," said Dr. Khaled Jouja, a doctor specializing in infectious diseases with Owensboro Medical Health System. "It's everywhere ... It's throughout the United States, Canada and Europe."

While MRSA is dangerous, there are plenty of preventative measures that can be taken to keep from getting it. First and foremost, doctors are pushing good hand-washing practices as the best way to stop the spread. They say to avoid sharing personal hygiene items, such as razors. Cloth can spread MRSA, so sharing towels and washcloths is also a bad idea. Shockley also said protecting cuts and bruises is important to keep them from being exposed to MRSA, so wearing bandages is vital.

For people who think they might have MRSA, it's better to be safe than sorry. See a doctor to get it looked at, and if it is MRSA, get it treated and follow doctors' instructions to the letter.

"They need to get it treated and not let it get out of hand," Jouja said. "You just have to be aware of it and knowing what kind of problem is might cause."

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