Community Acquired MRSA

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Health Care Associated and Community Acquired MRSA Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis Grandmother had been admitted to the hospital from the nursing home and was placed in an isolation room to rule out the possibility of MRSA. Methicillin (meth-uh-SILL-un) resistant Staphylococcus (staf-ih-loh-KOK-us) aureus (OR-e-us), is known to develop in two different strains. Health Care Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) and Community Acquired (CA-MRSA). Health Care Associated MRSA and Community Acquired MRSA present in various ways and are diagnosed by cultures and blood samples. Health Care Associated MRSA has been a long standing problem since early 1960. HA-MRSA is the leading cause of nosocomial pneumonia (acquired or occurred while…show more content…
“CA-MRSA most often presents as furuncles (boil, a localized swelling and inflammation of the skin resulting from usually bacterial infection of a hair follicle and adjacent tissue , having a hard central core, and forming pus), deep-seated folliculitis (inflammation of one or more follicles especially of the hair), impetigo (an acute contagious staphylococcal or streptococcal skin disease characterized by vesciles, pustules, and yellowish crusts), abscesses (a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue, or ecthyma (a cutaneous eruption marked by large flat pustules that have a hardened base surrounded by inflammation, heal with pigmented scar formation , and occur especially on the lower legs.” (Rhode Island Dept. of Health, Health Advisory, June 7, 2005). These types of presentation by the disease is often misdiagnosed as something as simple as a bug bite. The area that is infected may become painful, swollen, red, and may even drain the infection that can lead to more serious problems. HA-MRSA however may cause chest pain, heart palpitations, fever or nausea. Grandmother recently had developed a small wound on her right foot. The wound didn’t seem to be healing at the rate one would expect. Was this something to do with…show more content…
Baba, F. Takeuchi, M. Kuroda, H. Yuzawa, K. Aoki, A. Oguchi, Y. Nagai, N. Iwama, K. Asano, T. Naimi, 2002 p. 1819-1827.). The laboratory technician entered grandmother’s hospital room with swab to obtain a nares (nasal) culture. This method is one way to diagnose MRSA. The technician also swabbed the open wound in grandmother’s right foot. Another laboratory technician entered the room and a blood sample was drawn. As a result, during the waiting period for the blood work and culture results, grandmother would remain in the isolation room until the MRSA infection was ruled –out. In brief MRSA, both CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA, are menacing infectious bugs that are becoming epidemic. Through education about the disease, one can become more attuned to the clinical manifestations this disease presents. Moreover, with the proper laboratory testing to diagnose the Infection, there can be an end in site to the deadly, quietly moving killer. Grandmother is still in her hospital room with her right foot slowly recovering after testing positive for MRSA. One would hope that future generations would only know of this disease as one from

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