All about MRSA: ThePost.ie


TCH Archives > Sunday Business Post > 2005/06/26 > All about MRSA

All about MRSA
Sunday, June 26, 2005 - By Alison O'Connor
What is MRSA?

MRSA refers to a type of bacteria (staphylococcus aureus) that are resistant to many antibiotics. Anyone can get MRSA, but it is found most often in hospitalised patients.

The bacterium can live on the skin or can be found in the nose of about one-third of healthy people without causing them any problems. It causes problems when it gains access to deep tissue such as broken skin - causing wound infections - or into the bloodstream or the lungs.

How prevalent is it in hospitals?

We don't know. Only MRSA that has got into the blood stream is reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre from laboratories around the country.

But it is acknowledged by the National Disease Surveillance Centre that the numbers reported in this way represent only a proportion of the total number of people infected or colonised with MRSA in Ireland.

There is no measurement of MRSA that has not gotten into the bloodstream, such as that on the skin or in a wound or a drip site.

What do the available figures say?

Ireland comes third, after Britain and Malta, for MRSA incidence, while the lowest figures are seen in Scandinavia and the Netherlands.

The number of officially reported cases in Ireland is steadily rising each year, from 198 in 1999 to 553 last year, but a number of those familiar with MRSA believe the rise has been far more rapid.

Why are MRSA rates rising so rapidly?

The finger of blame is pointed at poor hygiene, including failure by doctors and nurses to wash their hands between treating patients, lack of proper cleaning of beds, failure in general ward cleanliness, high bed occupancy and overcrowding. Overuse of antibiotics is another important factor.

What are the symptoms associated with MRSA infection?

MRSA infections can cause a broad range of symptoms, depending on the infected part of the body.

Infection sites may include surgical wounds, burns, catheter sites, eye, skin and blood.

Infection often results in redness, swelling and tenderness at the site of infection.

Sometimes people may carry MRSA without having any symptoms.

Some people can carry MRSA for days, some for many months, even after their infection has been treated.

What is Minister for Health Mary Harney doing to tackle MRSA?

Responding last week to increasing public concern, Mary Harney said doing something about MRSA was a “top priority'‘.

An audit of every hospital is to be carried out over the summer, and Harney said she was considering ‘naming and shaming' hospitals that were the worst offenders.