Will he always have MRSA?

[Hope & Bill]

My b/f got MRSA while in the hospital last Nov following the SCI. Was sent home with it, we realized he was sick and not getting better. Took him to our local hospital, they diagnosed it there, he was on IV antibiotics there and also at home for a total of 3-4 weeks. I thought that was the end of it, all the staph was gone. He went into the hospital for the flap surgery on Tue, and we were told he is considered an isolation case, yellow gowns, his own room, because he had MRSA last winter.
(The private room is a definate plus!!!), but we don't really understand why. They are giving him 6 more weeks of IV antibiotics now, though he was really feeling well, and gained some weight, the decub was never obviously infected. They really want it to heal well, so thats good, we're not complaining, just wondering. (I work 12 hour days, so by the time I get to the hospital at night, the Dr's are long gone, and Bill never seems to ask exactly the "right" questions!!!) He will be transferred to a respite care place in the next few days if all keeps going well. They are giving him valium, as suggested by you guys in the forum (thanks!!!) for the spasms, in addition to his baclofen. Thanks again. Hope

WE'RE HOPING FOR THE BEST

[Wise Young]

For those who are not aware, MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. Staph aureus is a very common bacillus that is frequently present on skin and in the nose, the most common cause of skin infections. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/Aresist/mrsafaq.htm

Methicillin is an antibiotic that is similar to penicillin. Bacteria that are resistant to methicllin tend to be resistant to most other penicillin-type antibiotics. The treatment of an MRSA infection is not particularly different from other staph infections, except that non-penicillin antibotics should be used. So, there is no need for panic when MRSA is discovered. Friends and families of a patient infected with MRSA don't need to take any special precautions because the bacteria is no more virulent or dangerous than any other staph infection. The reason that hospitals want to get rid of it is because MRSA bacteria can pass their penicillin resistance to other kind of bacteria in the hospital. They don't want this to happen and therefore are taking special precautions to reduce spread. Also, methicillin resistant staph aureus is likely to include resistance to other kinds of antibiotics, including erythromycins and cephalosporins. For that reason, most doctors treat MRSA with two antibiotics that must be given intravenously and are relatively expensive: vancomyin or teicoplanin. Due to the intravenous treatment, the antibiotic treatment is usually started in the hospital (which adds to the expense) and therefore considerable efforts are expended to prevent the spread of this organism.

An MRSA infection can and should be eradicated with appropriate antibiotic therapies if it is discovered.

Wise.

[This message was edited by Wise Young on 10-04-03 at 04:06 PM.]

[Hope & Bill]

DR WISE,

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER. YOU CLEARED IT UP FOR ME. HOPE

WE'RE HOPING FOR THE BEST

[Lizbv]

I am a MRSA survivor. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif
nice to meet you Hope. good luck healing, Bill. keep your spirits up and keep building up your immune system.


"I guess pain is a great motivator."- Yanni

[prttynpnk]

Any tips on getting the immune system stronger? My sweetie deals with it too

[Lizbv]

Eating a somewhat balanced diet. Drinking plenty of fluids, keeping the persons everyday pca care regular, lots of sleep. Cleanliness with dressings, keep on top of areas of skin that may be of concern. If cannot go outside, make sure they at least sit up to get deep breathing. in the hospital they give you plastic breathing tubes for lung exercise. as corny as they are, they help.

I think it helps if you can just think about other things besides so much sci stuff. It can wear you down. I'm just someone w sci, not a medical professional. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gifgood luck.

"I guess pain is a great motivator."- Yanni

[Wise Young]

There is a recent report that athletes are particularly susceptible to MRSA and the CDC has put out a warning to school athletes. I know because this has been a problem that has been of concern to wrestlers for several years now. Wise.