Staph Infections and MRSA

What is a staph infection?

A staph infection is caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria commonly found on the skin or in the nose. Staph infections are among the most common skin infections and are frequently seen in health care settings, military barracks and among athletes. 

Staph bacteria may live harmlessly on your skin or in your nose. However, if these bacteria enter your body through a cut, scrape or wound, they can cause an infection. Many staph infections are mild and easily treated, but others can become serious or even life-threatening. 

It’s important to recognize symptoms and get treatment early, especially for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This type of staph is resistant to many common antibiotics, including methicillin, amoxicillin and penicillin, making it more challenging to treat. It’s sometimes called a “superbug.” Because MRSA can quickly spread and become severe, it’s important to use the right medications right away.

Schedule an appointment with a specialist today

Concerned about a staph infection? Contact Banner Health to schedule an appointment with an infectious disease specialist. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent complications.

Causes and risk factors for a staph infection

Staph infections are contagious. They can spread through:

• Direct contact with an infected wound  
• Sharing personal items like towels, pillowcases, razors or gym equipment
• Touching contaminated surfaces

Staph bacteria can live in your nose without causing symptoms, which is called colonization. If you are colonized, you may not feel sick but can still spread the bacteria to others or get an infection yourself if the bacteria enter your body. 

Staph infections, especially MRSA, are common in health care settings. Young children and older adults are more likely to get these infections.

You may be at higher risk for staph infections if you:

• Are hospitalized, have surgery or use a catheter or breathing tube.
• Use an implanted medical device or have an artificial joint.
• Have chronic illnesses such as diabetes, kidney failure, cancer or lung disease.
• Have HIV/AIDS, a transplanted organ or a weakened immune system due to other conditions or medication.
• Inject recreational drugs.
• Have skin damage from trauma, bug bites or eczema.
• Play contact sports or have other types of skin-to-skin contact.
• Spend time in locker rooms or other settings with a lot of other people, especially if you share equipment, uniforms or supplies.

Staph bacteria can spread easily in close-contact environmets such as gyms, dorms, schools and hospitals.

What does a staph infection look like? 

Staph skin infections often look like: 

• Red, swollen bumps 
• Boils or abscesses filled with pus 
• Areas that are warm and painful 
• Crusty sores 

On darker skin tones, redness may appear as deepening skin color or warmth rather than bright redness. 

Signs and symptoms of staph infections

If you have a staph infection, you may notice:

• Red, swollen bumps that can look like pimples, boils or abscesses. They may be painful to the touch. Color changes may be harder to notice on darker skin.
• Pain that seems worse than you would expect for a skin injury.
• Warmth, pus or drainage in infected areas.
• Skin infections that don’t improve with regular antibiotics.
• Fever, chills and low blood pressure if the infection spreads.

Staph infections can lead to complications like:

• Cellulitis
• Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, which causes peeling skin and usually affects babies and young children
• Sepsis
• Pneumonia
• Infections in the brain, heart valves, lungs, bones or joints
• Toxic shock syndrome (TSS)

Signs the infection may be spreading

• Fever
• Chills
• Low blood pressure
• Rapidly spreading redness
• Confusion or weakness

Seek medical attention right away if you notice these symptoms.

What is MRSA? 

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a type of staph bacteria that does not respond to many common antibiotics. MRSA infections can range from mild skin infections to serious bloodstream infections. 

MRSA spreads the same way as other staph bacteria but may require different antibiotics for treatment.

Get care immediately

Seek medical attention right away if you have symptoms like fever, confusion, weakness, dizziness, fainting or rapidly spreading redness. Staph infections can quickly become serious.

How are staph infections diagnosed?

Your health care provider will probably start with a physical exam and review your symptoms. They may also ask about any recent skin injuries or potential exposure to staph or MRSA.

They will want to rule out other skin conditions that can look similar to staph and MRSA infections:

• Boils, which are pockets of pus
• Cysts
• Insect bites
• Eczema 
• Impetigo
• Psoriasis
• Blood clots

Tests may include:

• A skin swab from the infected area to identify the type of bacteria. For MRSA, testing can show which antibiotics should work best.
• Nasal swabs to check for staph bacteria in your nose.
• Blood tests to check if the infection has entered your bloodstream, especially if you have a fever or other symptoms affecting your whole body.
• Imaging tests such as X-rays, MRIs or ultrasounds to check for deeper infections in tissues, bones or organs.

For MRSA, testing helps identify which antibiotics will be effective.

Treatments for staph infections

Your provider will probably recommend antibiotics. If your infection is resistant to certain antibiotics, like MRSA, you may need a stronger treatment. This could cause more side effects. Depending on the type of infection, treatment options include:

• Topical antibiotics (applied to the skin) like mupirocin (Bactroban) for minor infections or to decolonize (remove) the infection from the nose. Side effects may include stinging, redness or itching.
• Oral antibiotics like clindamycin, doxycycline (Doxy-100, Monodox, Oracea) or sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (Bactrim, Septra). Be sure to take the medication as prescribed. It is important to finish all prescribed antibiotics, even if symptoms improve, to prevent recurrence or resistance. Side effects can include nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
• Intravenous (IV) antibiotics such as vancomycin (Vancocin, Vancoled), linezolid (Zyvox) or daptomycin (Cubicin) for serious infections. You’ll probably need to be hospitalized for this treatment. 
• Making a small cut in a boil or abscess to drain the pus. 
• Removing a medical device or prosthetic.
• Surgically cleaning an infection, if it’s deep.

You’ll also want to keep cuts and scrapes clean, dry and covered. Change bandages regularly and throw used bandages in the trash right away. Don’t squeeze any boils or abscesses, since that can make the infection spread or get worse.

Minor infections usually clear up in a few days, but deeper infections can take a few weeks. Types of staph infections that spread to other parts of your body could require treatment for months.

If you have fever, chills, confusion or redness that is spreading quickly get medical care right away. Staph infections can get serious in a short time.

Having an infection, especially a resistant one like MRSA, can cause anxiety. You may want to get support from loved ones or mental health professionals. 

How long does a staph infection last?

Mild skin infections may improve within a few days of treatment. More serious infections can take weeks to months to fully resolve, especially if they involve deeper tissues or organs.

How to prevent staph infections and reduce risk

You can take these steps to make it less likely you’ll be infected with staph or MRSA bacteria:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, especially after touching surfaces that might be contaminated, before and after preparing food, after using the bathroom and after touching an animal or animal waste.
• Don’t touch wounds. 
• Keep cuts clean and covered.
• Don’t share personal items like towels, razors, deodorants, toothbrushes, hairbrushes or combs.
• Wash clothing and bedding regularly.
• If you’re in a hospital or health care setting, follow infection control guidelines, use hand sanitizer that’s at least 60% alcohol and make sure medical staff are practicing good hygiene.
• Wipe down equipment and shower immediately after exercising in a gym.
• Wear foot protection in locker rooms.
• Don’t reuse needles.
• Make sure others know how staph and MRSA can spread.
• Cover draining wounds with clean, dry bandages util healed to reduce spread.

Getting care

At Banner Health, we provide personalized care for staph infections and MRSA. We use advanced testing to diagnose these infections quickly and accurately. Our infectious disease specialists are experienced in treating complex cases with the latest antibiotic therapies. And our hospitals follow strict infection control measures to help prevent resistant bacteria from spreading.

If you notice signs of a staph infection, don’t wait.  Early treatment can make a difference. Contact Banner Health now to schedule an appointment.