Treatments For Staph Infection: Antibiotics Surgery And More
Most of the time, minor staph infections can be successfully eliminated. But serious cases may require powerful medicines.
Most of the time, minor staph infections can be successfully eliminated. But serious cases may require powerful medicines.
Treatment options for an infection caused by staphylococcus bacteria depend on the type of infection you have, how severe it is, and where its located on or in your body. Staph can cause a variety of types of skin infections, as well as infections of the blood, bones, joints, heart, and lungs.
Serious staph infections can be life-threatening, and even minor infections can turn serious if not treated appropriately, so any symptoms of a skin infection caused by staph such as persistent skin redness, swelling, or sores should be brought to the attention of a doctor.
That being said, some minor skin infections will heal on their own and wont require any treatment other than keeping the skin clean and protected. Most other staph infections whether a skin infection or an internal infection will require treatment with antibiotics. And sometimes, surgery is necessary to treat a staph infection.
Can Staph Infections Be Prevented
A couple of recent outbreaks among football players began when one team member had a boil and the infection was spread to other team members. You can take steps to help prevent staph infections. Any time you have a cut or skin breakdown, wash it with soap and water, over-the- counter hypochlorous acid or chlorhexadine, keep it clean and dry, and keep it covered. A diluted bleach bath twice a week may be helpful to prevent staph skin infections.
A staph infection is contagious if the wound is weeping or draining and if people share towels or other items that are contaminated. Wearing foot coverings in locker rooms and other commonly used areas can help prevent contamination.
If the sore becomes unusually painful or red, get prompt medical attention. If red lines develop, that’s a sign the infection is spreading and needs immediate medical attention.
Show Sources
Symptoms Of Staph Infections
Skin infections due to Staphylococcus aureus can include the following:
If a doctor suspects osteomyelitis, x-rays, computed tomography , magnetic resonance imaging , radionuclide bone scanning Radionuclide Scanning In radionuclide scanning, radionuclides are used to produce images. A radionuclide is a radioactive form of an element, which means it is an unstable atom that becomes more stable by releasing… read more , or a combination is also done. These tests can show where the damage is and help determine how severe it is. Bone biopsy is done to obtain a sample for testing. The sample may be removed with a needle or during surgery.
Read Also: Should You Take Antibiotics Before Tooth Extraction
What Can I Do To Help Relieve Symptoms Of Staph Infection
It is important to see your doctor if you think you might have a staph infection. To relieve the symptoms of staph infection on the skin, you should clean the affected area with soap and water. Cold compresses and over-the-counter pain relievers may ease the discomfort of skin infection.
In cases of food poisoning, drink plenty of liquids while you are recovering to reduce your risk of dehydration. Massage and warm compresses can relieve the symptoms of mastitis.
Top 5 Mrsa Antibiotic Therapies For Skin Infections
MRSA is now resistant to many types of antibiotics.
Below are the five commonly prescribed antibiotics for MRSA skin infections, which are commonly picked up in communities as community type MRSA or CA-MRSA.
1. Clindamycin
It has been successfully and widely used for the treatment of soft tissue and skin infections as well as bone, joint and abscesses caused by Staph and MRSA. MRSA is becoming increasingly resistant to clindamycin in the United States.
- Resistance: MRSA is becoming increasingly resistant to clindamycin in the United States.
- Side Effects and Precautions: Diarrhea is the most common side effect, and it can promote C. difficile overgrowth infections in the colon. C. difficile infections appear to occur more frequently with clindamycin than other antibiotics. Other side-effects are pseudomembranous colitis, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, skin rashes and more.
2. Linezolid
Folliculitis is a common type of MRSA skin infection often treated with oral antibiotics.
Approved for use in the year 2000, Linezolid is FDA approved for treating soft tissue and skin infections, including those caused by MRSA. It is often prescribed for CA-MRSA pneumonia and in particular, HA-MRSA pneumonia. Its commonly prescribed to people of all ages and is one of the most expensive treatment options, for a single course costing upwards of $1-2,000 for 20 tablets.
3. Mupirocin
4. Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole
5. Tetracyclines
Also Check: Strep Throat Antibiotics Not Working
What Are The Treatments For Staph Infection
Most staph infection on the skin can be treated with a topical antibiotic . Your doctor may also drain a boil or abscess by making a small incision to let the pus out.
Doctors also prescribe oral antibiotics to treat staph infection in the body and on the skin. The antibiotic will vary depending on the type of infection. In severe cases of staph infection, doctors use IV antibiotics to kill the bacteria.
Antibiotics That Inhibit Protein Biosynthesis At The 50s Subunit
Several different classes of antibiotic bind close to or at the PTC in the 50S ribosome subunit . Some molecules block the aminoacyl end of aa-tRNA or peptidyl-tRNA and prevent peptide bond formation . Others block the polypeptide exit tunnel and prevent elongation of the nascent polypeptide chain. Many of the antibiotic binding sites overlap and there are similarities in the drug’s mechanisms of inhibition. Linezolid, florfenicol, clindamycin, pleuromutilins, streptogramins and macrolides are used to combat staphylococcal infections in man and animals and will be discussed together. The review of resistance mechanisms will focus on linezolid and Synercid, the two drugs most relevant to combating MRSA. Because several resistance mechanisms inhibit the action of more than one different drug class, these will be discussed after the properties of the each of antibiotics have been described.
Recommended Reading: Are Antibiotics Hard On Your Liver
What Is Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotics are powerful medications that work very well for certain types of illnesses. However, some antibiotics are now less useful than they once were due to an increase in antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria can no longer be controlled or killed by certain antibiotics. In some cases, this can mean there are no effective treatments for certain conditions.
Each year, 2 million people are infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, resulting in at least 23,000 deaths.
When you take an antibiotic, the sensitive bacteria are eliminated. The bacteria that survive during antibiotic treatment are often resistant to that antibiotic. These bacteria often have unique characteristics that prevent antibiotics from working on them.
Some serious antibiotic-resistant infections include:
What Types Of Health Care Professionals Treat Staph Infections
Staph infections may initially be treated by primary care practitioners including pediatricians, internists, and family medicine doctors. An emergency medicine specialist may treat the patient if he or she seeks care in an emergency department or urgent care center. Sometimes with skin infections, people seek treatment from a dermatologist. For more severe infections, bloodstream infections, or infections of the internal organs, a number of medical specialists may be required, including infectious disease specialists, cardiologists, critical care specialists, pulmonologists, and surgeons.
Also Check: Over The Counter Antibiotics For Diarrhea
Is A Staph Infection Contagious
Staph infections are contagious until the infection has resolved. Direct contact with an infected sore or wound, or with personal care items such as razors, bandages, etc., are common routes of transmission. Casual contact such as kissing or hugging does not pose a great risk for transmission if there is no direct contact with the infected area.
Certain kinds of staph infection involve staph organisms that cause food poisoning or toxic shock syndrome. These particular staph bacteria cause disease by producing a toxin. The toxin is not contagious, however, food poisoning may affect groups of people who eat the same contaminated food.
A Clpp Protease Inhibitor Kills Persisters
A small proportion of a susceptible population of S. aureus growing in exponential phase survive exposure to bactericidal antibiotics such as quinolones, aminoglycosides, rifampicin and -lactams. These cells are only temporarily resistant because they regain sensitivity when re-cultured. Upon a second exposure to the drug, the population shows the same killing phenotype as the original. Thus, in any population of bacterial cells a small proportion are in a transiently insensitive state. The phenomenon of persisters was first described by Bigger in early studies on the effect of penicillin on S. aureus .
In Gram-negative bacteria, several different toxinantitoxin modules control entry into the persister state . The toxin molecules such as an mRNA endonuclease or the HipA protein kinase that acts on glutamyl aminoacyl tRNA synthetase are expressed constitutively along with a specific antitoxin that normally inhibits activity of the toxins . Occasionally, the antitoxin fails and the toxic enzyme is activated and stops growth. This is a bacteriostatic effect from which the cells can recover. Clinically important bactericidal antibiotics only act on cells that are actively growing.
The acylpepsipeptide antibiotic ADEP4 can kill S. aureus cells that are in the persister state . It activates the ClpP protease by dissociating the enzyme from its ATP-dependent chaperone allowing it to degrade intracellular proteins in an uncontrolled fashion.
Don’t Miss: Can You Buy Antibiotics For Dogs Over The Counter
What Is The Outlook For People Who Have Staph Infection
Most staph infections of the skin are mild. They can be treated with antibiotics and have no lasting effects.
When staph infections are left untreated, they can lead to organ failure and death. In rare cases, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection can be deadly if the infection isnât controlled.
Who Is At Risk For Staph Infections
Anyone can develop a staph infection, although certain groups of people are at greater risk, including newborn infants, breastfeeding women, and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, vascular disease, and lung disease. Injecting drug users, those with skin injuries or disorders, intravenous catheters, surgical incisions, and those with a weakened immune system due either to disease or a result of immune suppressing medications all have an increased risk of developing staph infections.
Also Check: How Long To Take Antibiotics For Bv
Home Care For A Staph Infection
If you do develop a staph infection on your skin, some basic hygiene measures will encourage healing and help to prevent the spread of infection:
- Keep it clean. Follow your doctors instructions on how to clean your wound or skin condition.
- Keep it covered. Cover the affected area with gauze or a bandage, as recommended by your doctor, to protect it and avoid spreading the infection to other people.
- Dont touch it. Avoid touching the area, so you dont spread the bacteria to other parts of your body.
- Use towels only once. After you bathe, dry yourself off, then wash the towel in hot water before using it again.
Antibiotics Recommended For Infected Wounds
An infection is the growth of a parasitic organism, also called a germ, within the body.The onset of an infection is sudden, causing pain and swelling around the wound. Those germs, more commonly bacteria, attach to the tissues preventing the wound from healing.
The bacteria can also enter the blood through the vein and cause a severe infection or sepsis. The antibiotic is chosen based on the bacteria present. Oral antibiotics are taken by mouth, while IV antibiotics are administered through a needle directly into the bloodstream.
Recommended Reading: Can You Get Pet Antibiotics Over The Counter
Recovery Time And Outlook
The recovery time for a staph infection depends on the type and severity of the infection, as well as the strength of a persons immune system.
Food poisoning staph will usually pass within 2448 hours, but it may take 3 days or longer to feel well.
A staph infection at the surface of the skin may heal with just a few days of treatment. However, if a large sore or wound has developed, it may require several weeks of treatment or longer.
If a systemic staph infection develops in the heart, lungs, bloodstream, or another organ system, treatment can take weeks to months. In rare cases, these staph infections can lead to sepsis, a dangerous condition in which the immune system has an exaggerated response to infection.
Treatment Of Staph Infections
-
Antibiotics
-
Sometimes surgical removal of infected bone and/or foreign material
Infections due to Staphylococcus aureus are treated with antibiotics. Doctors try to determine whether the bacteria are resistant to antibiotics and, if so, to which antibiotics.
Infection that is acquired in a hospital is treated with antibiotics that are effective against MRSA. They include vancomycin, linezolid, tedizolid, quinupristin plus dalfopristin, ceftaroline, telavancin, or daptomycin. If results of testing later indicate that the strain is susceptible to methicillin and the person is not allergic to penicillin, a drug related to methicillin, such as nafcillin or oxacillin, is used. Depending on how severe the infection is, antibiotics may be given for weeks.
MRSA infection can be acquired outside of a health care facility. The community-acquired MRSA strains are usually susceptible to other antibiotics, such as trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, minocycline, or doxycycline, as well as to the antibiotics used to treat MRSA infections acquired in the hospital.
Mild skin infections due to MRSA, such as folliculitis, are usually treated with an ointment, such as one that contains bacitracin, neomycin, and polymyxin B or mupirocin . If more than an ointment is required, antibiotics effective against MRSA are given by mouth or intravenously. Which antibiotic is used depends on the severity of the infection and the results of susceptibility testing.
Recommended Reading: Strep Throat Antibiotics How Long
When To Use Antibiotics
Antibiotics are specific for the type of bacteria being treated and, in general, cannot be interchanged from one infection to another. When antibiotics are used correctly, they are usually safe with few side effects. Health care providers are able to assess each patient individually to determine the correct antibiotic, dose and length of treatment.
However, as with most drugs, antibiotics can lead to side effects that may range from being a nuisance to serious or life-threatening. In infants and the elderly, in patients with kidney or liver disease, in pregnant or breastfeeding women, and in many other patient groups, antibiotic doses may need to be adjusted based upon the individual patient. Drug interactions can also be common with antibiotics.
Management Of Staphylococcus Aureus Infections
DAVID M. BAMBERGER, M.D., and SARAH E. BOYD, M.D.
University of MissouriKansas City, Kansas City, Missouri
Am Fam Physician. 2005 Dec 15 72:2474-2481.
Because of high incidence, morbidity, and antimicrobial resistance, Staphylococcus aureus infections are a growing concern for family physicians. Strains of S. aureus that are resistant to vancomycin are now recognized. Increasing incidence of unrecognized community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections pose a high risk for morbidity and mortality. Although the incidence of complex S. aureus infections is rising, new antimicrobial agents, including daptomycin and linezolid, are available as treatment. S. aureus is a common pathogen in skin, soft-tissue, catheter-related, bone, joint, pulmonary, and central nervous system infections. S. aureus bacteremias are particularly problematic because of the high incidence of associated complicated infections, including infective endocarditis. Adherence to precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, especially handwashing, is suboptimal.
SORT: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE
Vancomycin should not be used for known methicillin- susceptible Staphylococcus aureus infections unless there is a betalactam allergy.
MRSA = methicillin-resistant S. aureus.
SORT: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE
Vancomycin should not be used for known methicillin- susceptible Staphylococcus aureus infections unless there is a betalactam allergy.
You May Like: How Much Antibiotics Cost Without Insurance
Facts You Should Know About A Staph Infection
- Staphylococcus is a group of bacteria that can cause a multitude of diseases.
- Staph infections may cause disease due to direct infection or due to the production of toxins by the bacteria. Boils, impetigo, food poisoning, cellulitis, and toxic shock syndrome are all examples of diseases that can be caused by Staphylococcus.
- Symptoms and signs of a localized staph infection include a collection of pus, such as a boil, furuncle, or abscess. The area is typically tender or painful and may be reddened and swollen.
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA, is a type of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to the antibiotic methicillin and other drugs in this class.
- Staph infections are treated with topical, oral, or intravenous antibiotics, depending upon the type of infection.
What Is A Staph Infection Of The Skin
A staph infection is caused by a Staphylococcus bacteria. Actually, about 25% of people normally carry staph in the nose, mouth, genitals, or anal area, and donât have symptoms of an infection. The foot is also very prone to picking up bacteria from the floor. The infection often begins with a little cut, which gets infected with bacteria. This can look like honey-yellow crusting on the skin.
These staph infections range from a simple boil to antibiotic-resistant infections to flesh-eating infections. The difference between all these is the strength of the infection, how deep it goes, how fast it spreads, and how treatable it is with antibiotics. The antibiotic-resistant infections are more common in North America, because of our overuse of antibiotics.
One type of staph infection that involves skin is called cellulitis and affects the skin’s deeper layers. It is treatable with antibiotics.
This type of infection is very common in the general population — and more common and more severe in people with weak immune systems. People who have diabetes or weakened immunity are particularly prone to developing cellulitis.
You May Like: Where Can I Buy Antibiotic Eye Drops Over The Counter
