STAPH INFECTIONS

Staph Infections

Staph Infections

Staph often refers to "staphylococcus aureus?" a bacteria responsible for wound? blood and surgical infections. It is commonly found on human skin? and transmitted by contact. Current treatment includes strict attention to hand and equipment cleaning and careful choice of antibiotics to treat resistant bacteria. New treatments are needed because resistance to antibiotics is growing. Antibiotics target the ability of staphylococcus to divide? replicate and make proteins and a cell wall. The first drugs to treat staph aureus? penicillin and later vancomycin? targeted the bacterial cell wall (Boyce? 2004). Unfortunately? resistance to penicillin occurs as penicillin is broken down by the bacteria. This is widely known as MRSA? or methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus. A class of drugs called macrolides? as well as the tetracyclines? rifampin? mupirocin? clindamycin and linezolid? target the ability of the bacteria to make proteins. Other drugs? such as trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole? target DNA replication. Medicines which treat staphylococcus may have side effects. A new approach to treatment is to use the immune system to target and kill this bacteria. Bacteria are spread through contact between providers and patients. Strict attention to handwashing and use of alcohol rubs is a key treatment strategy (Boyce? 2004). Alcohol rubs or handwashing should be used after every patient encounter. Patients who are infected or who carry MRSA infection should be placed in groups (cohorts)? or isolated from other patients to prevent the spread of resistant bacteria (Lowy? 2004).

At home and at school? keeping clean is an important part of preventing MRSA. Up to 60 percent of sick patients with MRSA have had a family member who also had MRSA. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends carefully bathing regularly with soap and water? cleaning sports equipment with dilute bleach or antiseptics? and not sharing towels? clothing? or razors to prevent the spread of MRSA (Lowy? 2004).

The struggle to find an antibiotic that can effectively fight certain infections is becoming more frequent as antibiotic-resistant bacteria proliferate around the globe. The war between antibiotics and bacteria has been waging since the 1940s? when researchers first developed the breakthrough drug? penicillin. Since then? antibiotics have been consistently victorious against a whole range of disease-producing bacteria? including those causing tuberculosis? pneumonia? gonorrhea and staph. Western medicine practitioners and patients were triumphant and grateful (Lowy? 2004).

Recent developments? though? are revisioning that "victory." From all around the globe -- Japan? the U.S.? Europe? South America -- reports of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria are surfacing: urinary? respiratory and ear infections that don't respond to usual courses of antibiotics; resistant strains of pneumonia and tuberculosis bacteria. In addition? some bacteria strains transmitted only in hospital settings are also showing resistance.

"Is this a problem? Yes. And use all capital letters to spell yes?" says Dr. Paul Lewis? an assistant professor in pediatric infectious diseases at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland (Lowy? 2004).

In general? bacteria are specifically adapted "to make people sick?" Lewis says. And antibiotics were specifically engineered to kill those ...