Avoiding Drug-Resistant Staph Infections

Don’t panic, but take precautions.

That’s the advice of one expert following the recent announcement by federal authorities of a spike in deaths stemming from drug-resistant staph infections.

In October, something akin to a nationwide panic followed the release of a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that nearly 19,000 people in the United States had died in a single year from infection from the superbug, formally known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

Health experts caution that while MRSA is quite deadly in some instances, it is rarely as deadly when contracted settings outside of hospitals and nursing homes. In such cases, exposure usually is manifested as a treatable skin infection. The vast majority of deadly cases still occur in hospitals and nursing homes where factors such as open wounds and compromised immune systems provide more ideal conditions for the superbug.

“The problem emerged in hospitals, where people are sick and debilitated and where there were persistent problems with doctors and other staff not washing adequately after contact with patients,” says Dr. Robert Norton, an Auburn University veterinary bacteriologist, who monitors biosecurity issues.

But that’s not to say that Alabamians and Americans in general shouldn’t be concerned, he stresses.

“MRSA is a widespread problem and is ubiquitous throughout the United States,” says Norton, who works closely with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System to educate Alabamians about biosecurity risks and similar types of threats to human health.

“It’s something that we’re going to have to live with for a long time.”

Fortunately, Norton says, a growing number of hospitals and other care facilities are fully aware of the threat and are taking precautions.

Already in many hospitals throughout the nation, patient rooms are routinely equipped with disinfectant solutions, which doctors, nurses and other staff members are required to use for hand cleansing following each patient visit.

Also, under federal guidelines that soon will go into effect, Medicare and Medicaid no longer will be underwrite the costs of treating these types of infections — a measure designed to ensure that hospitals take more stringent measures to prevent these infectious outbreaks.

In the future, hospitals will be required to bear the costs for treating these types of infections.

“There are still problems and nothing is perfect, but there is significant movement under way to address these concerns,” Norton says.

Schools also have gotten more serious about preventing the spread of this superbug following a student’s death from MRSA at a Brooklyn middle school in mid-October. More recently, a Valley woman became the first Alabama victim of MRSA.

“Schools are now coming in and disinfecting thoroughly in cases where one or more students or staff have developed an infection,” Norton says.

Researchers concede they have no way of knowing whether the recent spike in MRSA-related deaths is evidence that the threat is growing.

Whatever the case, Norton says the general public should take reasonable precautions.

This includes practicing good hygiene, namely keeping one’s hands clean by washing with soap and water and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Showering immediately after exercising also is considered an effective safeguard.

People also should take special care to treat skin cuts and abrasions with solutions such as hydrogen peroxide and to cover these wounds with bandages.

Also, avoid sharing personal items, such as towels and razors — an item that routinely comes in contact with bare skin. Be sure to use some type of barrier — for example, clothing or a towel — when you use shared equipment, such as a weight-training bench.

Finally, take care to clean frequently accessed surfaces, such as table and countertops.

For more information about preventing MRSA, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Questions and Answers about Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Schools” at http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools/.

Posted by Jim Langcuster at October 31, 2007 03:30 PM