Infections from
Drug-resistant “Superbug” on the Rise
[Posted 10/19/07]
A report released this week by the American Medical
Association estimated that Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was responsible for
nearly 19,000 deaths and more than 94,000
life-threatening illnesses in the United States
during 2005.
MRSA is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue
infections among people in hospitals and, according
to the study, the drug-resistant infections are
becoming alarmingly more pervasive both in and out
of hospitals. The study focused on invasive
infections—those that enter the bloodstream or
destroy flesh and have the potential to be lethal.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
used data from nine sites participating in the
Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs)/Emerging
Infections Program Network from July 2004 through
December 2005 to evaluate the scope and magnitude
(incidence and distribution) of invasive MRSA
infections in the United States. The study
investigated and classified 8,987 cases of invasive
MRSA. Most cases were healthcare-associated: 58.4%
were community-onset infections, 26.6% were
hospital-onset infections; 13.7%
community-associated infections and 1.3% could not
be classified.
The research team, lead by Atlanta-based CDC
epidemiologist Dr. R. Monina Klevens, estimated the
rate of invasive MRSA in 2005 at 31.8 per 100,000
persons, with higher rates for certain populations.
Klevens indicated that healthcare providers need to
do a better job of preventing MRSA. “Invasive MRSA
is an important public health problem. This is
really a call for action to healthcare settings that
we need to do a better job at preventing MRSA,” she
said.
Elizabeth A. Bancroft, an epidemiologist at the Los
Angeles County Department of Public Health, wrote an
editorial that accompanied the article. She noted
that “The rate of infection is a lot higher than
what was expected,” with more people dying from MRSA
infections in the United States in 2005 than died
from AIDS.
According to Bancroft, people can protect themselves
from MRSA by washing their hands, keeping wounds
covered, and maintaining good hygiene. “You don’t
always need antibiotics to treat this infection,”
she said. “A lot of times, it can be treated by
having a doctor drain the pus out.”
Whether they are in the hospital or other healthcare
facilities, Bancroft urges patients to make sure
that doctors and nurses wash their hands before
touching them, starting an IV or inserting a
catheter or other invasive device.
She went on to say that in the outside community,
MRSA is most often passed from one person to another
through casual contact, such as body contact during
sports or sharing towels and athletic equipment,
particularly in schools and prisons.
Related Links:
JAMA Article
HealthDay Report
CDC Website for Healthcare-related MRSA
NIOSH Website for MRSA and the Workplace
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