MRSA (original) (raw)

Also called: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

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Summary

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It causes a staph infection (pronounced "staff infection") that is resistant to several common antibiotics. There are two types of infection. Hospital-associated MRSA happens to people in health care settings. Community-associated MRSA happens to people who have close skin-to-skin contact with others, such as athletes involved in football and wrestling.

Infection control is key to stopping MRSA in hospitals. To prevent community-associated MRSA:

• Practice good hygiene
• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed
• Avoid contact with other people's wounds or bandages
• Avoid sharing personal items, such as towels, washcloths, razors, or clothes
• Wash soiled sheets, towels, and clothes in hot water with bleach and dry in a hot dryer

If a wound appears to be infected, see a health care provider. Treatments may include draining the infection and antibiotics.

Start Here

• Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Basics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• MRSA (VisualDX)

• MRSA Infection (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

• Abscess (VisualDX)

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (National Institutes of Health)

• MRSA (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

• MRSA (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

• Staphylococcus aureus (Staph infection) and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) Also in Spanish