Around 500,000 people in Germany suffer from nosocomial infectious diseases every year, but the infections only occur after hospitalisation or outpatient treatment. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA for short is the name of the germ that causes the most and at the same time the most severe infections.
Staphylococcus aureus: On average about 40% of the population carry this bacterium daily in the nose and on the skin. Healthy persons do not have any complaints as a result of this. An infection is only possible at all if the pathogens break through the skin or mucous membrane barrier, this often occurs, for example, in open wounds or skin defects. This can result in abscesses, wounds healing badly or even blood poisoning (sepsis).
The methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a special form of Staphylococcus infection and has the same characteristics. However, there is one important difference: MRSA is resistant to the most important antibiotics that can be used against this pathogen and is therefore difficult to kill. Today, there are only a few antibiotics that can be used against MRSA at all.
URACES OF MRSA DISTRIBUTION
- Too many antibiotics from childhood on
- Antibiotics administration in animal fattening
- Inficient implementation of prophylactic hygiene measures
- Rare information transmission of MRSA detection
- increase in predisposed patient population
MRSA PREVENTION
GOOD HYGIENE
In healthy people, the risk of contracting MRSA is very low. However, to avoid becoming a carrier of the pathogen and to infect unconsciously weakened persons in the environment, good hygiene is very important. The majority of the pathogens are transmitted by shaking hands.
INFECTION WITH MRSA
In persons or patients with open wounds, superficial MRSA colonization can quickly lead to infection. After the infection, treatment with antibiotics is unavoidable – However, nowadays there are only very limited possibilities for treatment with antibiotics, as many resistances to various antibiotics have already developed.
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING WARNING
Protective clothing is usually only worn in hospitals or practices. A protective gown, disposable gloves and mouthguard are usually required. Furthermore, special isolation of the patient is also required.
COLONISATION WITH MRSA
The colonization is primarily caused by body contact, e.g. simple shaking of hands. The colonisation is harmless for healthy people, as the pathogens cannot cause infections due to the intact skin or mucous membrane. The daily contact with fellow human beings is therefore possible without further ado. However, one should not forget that even if one is not infected, one can still be a carrier of the germ and can carry it on and pass it on to sick people.
HYGIENE FOR MRSA CARRIERS
In addition to personal hygiene such as washing hands, the special cleaning of clothing must be observed. Laundry should be washed here at over 60 °C or with chemical additives.
HANDLING INFIED WITH AN MRSA
An increased risk of infection exists above all for weakened and seriously or chronically ill persons, as well as small children or infants. These should largely prevent closer skin contact with MRSA carriers.
It is not difficult to make bacteria resistant to penicillin in the laboratory by administering concentrations that do not kill them.
Alexander Fleming (1945) in an interview with The New York Times
