In the community (where you live, work, shop, and go to school), MRSA most often causes skin infections. If left untreated, MRSA infections can become severe and even cause sepsis.
In places such as a hospital or nursing home, MRSA can cause severe problems such as:
- bloodstream infections,
- pneumonia, or
- surgical site infections.
It’s tougher to treat than most strains of staphylococcus aureus – or staph – because it’s resistant to some commonly used antibiotics.
The symptoms of MRSA depend on where you’re infected. Most often, it causes mild infections on the skin, like sores, boils, or abscesses. Having MRSA on your skin does not have to cause any symptoms and make you ill. You will not usually know if you have it unless you have a screening test before going into hospital.
If MRSA gets deeper into your skin, it can cause:
- swelling
- warmth
- pain
- pus
- redness, but this may be less visible on darker skin
If it gets further into your body, it can also cause:
- a high temperature
- chills
- aches and pains
- dizziness
- confusion
Treatments for MRSA depends of the situation. If screening finds MRSA on your skin, you may need treatment to remove it. This is known as decolonisation and usually involves:
- applying antibacterial cream inside your nose 3 times a day for 5 days
- washing with an antibacterial shampoo every day for 5 days
- changing your towel, clothes and bedding every day during treatment – the laundry should be washed separately from other people’s and at a high temperature
The treatment for an MRSA infection is different. If MRSA infection was detected, It is necessary to be treated with antibiotics that work against MRSA. These may be taken as tablets or given as injections. Treatment can take up to few weeks. During treatment, you may need to stay in your own room or in a ward with other people who have an MRSA infection to help stop it spreading. You can normally still have visitors, but it’s important they take precautions to prevent MRSA spreading.
To prevent the spread of MRSA, it is necessary to cover the wounds with clean, dry bandages until healed – pus from infected wounds can contain MRSA. TO avoid to share personal items such as towels, washcloths, razors, and clothing, including uniforms. It is necessary to have wash laundry before use by others and clean your hands after touching dirty clothes.