Simple precautions can prevent staph infections

The death this month of a Virginia high school student from a drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection has heightened the fear of a common infection that had all but vanished after antibiotics such as penicillin came into widespread use after World War II.

While infections always should be taken seriously, they can be avoided by following a few simple precautions, according to the Madison County Health Department.

“The number one thing we can do is to practice good hygiene,” said Judy Collins, the health department’s regional epidemiologist. “Washing hands thoroughly and often with soap and water, while seemingly simple, plays a significant role in preventing the spread of staph bacteria.” Keeping cuts and scrapes covered, clean, and dry can also help prevent its spread, as can avoiding contact with other people’s cuts or bandages, she said.

Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium that often resides on the skin and in the nose, according to Collins.

It causes infection when it enters an open wound, such as a cut or scrape. The medical community is seeing more and more instances of staph infections that are resistant to antibiotics such as penicillin. They can be treated with other antibiotics, however, if properly diagnosed.

Instead of spreading across the body, Staphylococcus aureus infections tend to penetrate deeply into the body and can attack vital organs.

The Virginia student died after the infection spread to his kidneys, liver, lungs and the muscles around his heart.

Most MRSA infections occur in hospitals, but they’re becoming more common elsewhere. Four students in north Fulton County, Georgia, were recently diagnosed with Staphylococcus aureus infections, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Friday.

Howell Wechsler of the federal Centers for Disease Control says too many schools across the nation do not take basic precautions to resist the spread of infectious disease.

“For instance, at the middle school level, only 77 percent of schools are teaching students about the importance of hand washing, which is critical for infectious disease prevention," he said.

“If someone suspects he or she has a staph infection, it’s important to get proper medical treatment, and make sure you take steps to prevent the spread of the infection,” said Dr. William Hacker, acting U.S. undersecretary for health.

“Often, patients and their physicians assume that an infected lesion is a spider or bug bite. The involved site can be red, swollen, painful and draining. More serious infections, such as surgical wound infections, bloodstream infections and pneumonia, can also occur.”

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services suggests these to control staph infection:

• Keep wounds covered with clean, dry bandages.

• Wash hands after touching infected skin or bandages. Put disposable wastes (e.g., dressings, bandages) in a separate trash bag and close the bag tightly before throwing it out with regular garbage.

• Advise family and other close contacts to wash their hands frequently. Caregivers should use gloves and wash hands afterwards if they change your bandages or touch an infected wound or other objects that have been in contact with the wound or wound drainage.

• Do not share personal items (e.g., towels, washcloths, razors, clothing or uniforms) or other items that may have had contact with an infected wound or wound drainage.

• Disinfect all non-clothing (and non-disposable) items that come in contact with an infected wound with a solution of one tablespoon household bleach mixed in one quart of water (must be prepared fresh each day) or a phenol-containing store-bought cleaning product.

• Wash linens and clothes that become soiled with hot water and laundry detergent. Drying clothes in a hot dryer, rather than air-drying, also helps kill bacteria in clothes.

• Wash utensils and dishes in the usual manner with soap and hot water or use a standard home dishwasher.

• Avoid participating in contact sports or other skin-to-skin contact until an infected wound has healed.

For more information, visit the Web site chfs.ky.gov/dph/MRSA.htm or call your doctor. Additional information can be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca.html.
Published: October 20, 2007 11:32 pm
By Bill Robinson
Register News Writer
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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
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