What if mrsa

How is an infection diagnosed? How is an infection treated? You can also take steps to protect yourself from MRSA. Practice good hygiene. Keep your hands clean by washing them frequently and thoroughly with soap and clean, running water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Hand-washing is the best way to avoid spreading germs. Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage, and avoid contact with other people's wounds or bandages.

Do not share personal items such as towels or razors. Be smart about using antibiotics. Know that antibiotics can help treat bacterial infections but they cannot cure viral infections. Always ask your doctor if antibiotics are the best treatment. And avoid pressuring your doctor into prescribing antibiotics when they won't help you get better.

Always take all your antibiotic medicine as prescribed by your doctor. Using only part of the medicine may cause antibiotic-resistant bacteria to develop. Do not save any antibiotics, and do not use antibiotics that were prescribed for someone else. If you are in the hospital, remind doctors and nurses to wash their hands before they touch you.

If you have an infection with MRSA, you can keep from spreading the bacteria. Cover your wound with clean, dry bandages. And follow your doctor's instructions on caring for your wound.

Keep your hands clean. You, your family, and other people with whom you are in close contact should wash their hands often with soap and clean, running water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after changing a bandage or touching a wound.

Do not share towels, washcloths, razors, clothing, or other items that may have had contact with your wound or a bandage. Wash your sheets, towels, and clothes with warm water and detergent and dry them in a hot dryer, if possible. Keep your environment clean by wiping all frequently touched surfaces such as countertops, doorknobs, and light switches with a disinfectant. Related Information Using Antibiotics Wisely.

Staphylococcal infections. In LK Pickering et al. MRSA infections. Kallen AJ, et al. Health care-associated invasive MRSA infections, — JAMA, 6 : — Vital Signs: Staph infections can kill [ Mins] external icon. MRSA is usually spread in the community by contact with infected people or things that are carrying the bacteria. This includes through contact with a contaminated wound or by sharing personal items, such as towels or razors, that have touched infected skin.

The opioid epidemic may also be connected to the rise of staph infections in communities. People who inject drugs are 16 times more likely to develop a serious staph infection. More about injection drug use and risk of infection on this factsheet pdf icon [PDF — 2 pages]. The symptoms of a MRSA infection depend on the part of the body that is infected. For example, people with MRSA skin infections often can get swelling, warmth, redness, and pain in infected skin.

In most cases it is hard to tell if an infection is due to MRSA or another type of bacteria without laboratory tests that your doctor can order.

Some MRSA skin infections can have a fairly typical appearance and can be confused with a spider bite. However, unless you actually see the spider, the irritation is likely not a spider bite. Most S. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. General Information. Minus Related Pages. On This Page. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus MRSA infection is caused by a type of staph bacteria that's become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections.

Staph infection Open pop-up dialog box Close. Staph infection MRSA infections start out as small red bumps that can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic.

Share on: Facebook Twitter. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed Nov. Mayo Clinic; Elsevier Point of Care. Elsevier; Ferri FF. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Harris A. Related MRSA prevention. Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic.