MRSA Superbug Treatment
Treating MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) can be easy, difficult, or nearly impossible. It will depend on when the bacteria is discovered and the area of infection. The earlier, the superbug is diagnosed properly, the sooner a treatment plan can be created to cure the infection. There is an increase in treatment success when it is begun early in relation to MRSA infection. The treatment can be as simple taking penicillin or serious enough to require hospitalization.
What is a superbug?
MRSA is considered a superbug because this bacterium doesn’t respond to most antibiotic treatments. Somehow it has evolved to be resistant. There are many theories in how it acquired this super power of not being affected by a majority of antibiotics. Though the origins may not be agreed upon, the treatment is agreed upon by most of the medical community.
Treating MRSA, the superbug
The basic first line treatment of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), is to clean wounds properly. Simple cleansing will stop many MRSA infections from developing when there is a break in the skin from the following:
- Cuts
- Surgery
- Prick
- Rash
- Bug bites
- Abrasions
- Scrapes
- Punctures
When a wound is not cleansed or an infection is not treated, a MRSA infection can spread to others and to other parts of the body. Diagnosing the superbug early will reduce the risks of the infection spreading. Treatment includes identifying the specific strain of MRSA bacteria so that the most successful antibiotic regimen can be used to treat the infection.
Antibiotics used for MRSA
Most antibiotics aren’t successful in treating and killing MRSA, the superbug. The antibiotics that are used include vancomycin (Vancocin), linezolid (Zyvox), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim) doxycycline (Vibramycin), clindamycin (Cleocin) and others. For an antibiotic to be successful, the specific strain of MRSA must be determined through tests. The tests can be done using cultures, blood samples, tissue samples, or from the MRSA DNA that is present in the blood. Identifying the bacterium from DNA is the fastest the most common method.
Some superbugs are becoming resistant to current treatments. The medical community is taking precautions to avoid the wide spread of VRSA (vancomycin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) and it's quickly becoming the next superbug we will have to battle.
Additional treatments for MRSA, the superbug
When proper wound care isn’t successful in treating the superbug, MRSA, in addition to antibiotics, the treatment for MRSA, the superbug includes creating an incision in the abscess and draining it. Sometimes if there is tissue damage, it may have to be removed. During treatment, the infection is kept covered and anyone who is in contact with the patient should be sure they aren’t to spread the MRSA to others or become infected with the superbug themselves by following infection control/prevention precedure.
For severe cases of MRSA, treatment can include hospitalization and other treatment. When the infection has spread to the heart, lungs, or other organs the treatment will need to include treating any damage to the organs that may have occurred as a result of the infection.
As with most illnesses and infections prompt diagnosis is important to starting treatment early, which will increase the success of treatment and reduce the risk of MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), the superbug from spreading.
MRSA Superbug History
Learn the MRSA Superbug History.