Most people recover from staphylococcal infections. Antibiotics typically kill the bacteria shortly after treatment begins. But reinfection and the need for additional treatment sometimes occur.
Recurrent infections occur in nearly half of all patients with S. aureus SSTI. Epidemiologic and environmental factors, such as exposure to health care, age, household contacts with S. aureus SSTI, and contaminated household fomites are associated with recurrence.
Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, is a type of bacteria found on people's skin. MRSA and MSSA are types of staph infections that are hard to treat. They can lead to serious infections or even death. These infections can come back or spread to other people.
For some people a staph skin infection can recur and come back after it is cured. If you have a staph skin infection it must first be treated with antibiotics from your doctor.
As a result, the body does not develop long-term immunity and remains vulnerable to that particular staph infection throughout life. While certain staph bacteria cause mild skin infections, other strains of staph bacteria can wreak havoc in the bloodstream and bones, sometimes leading to amputations.
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 it's located on or in your body.
When common antibiotics don't kill the staph bacteria, it means the bacteria have become resistant to those antibiotics. This type of staph is called MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
The infections may recur over many months. Eventually some degree of immunity develops and the episodes become less frequent. However episodes may continue to occur for up to 2 years. In general, there is no detectable problem with a person's immunity to explain the infections.
The good news is that immune deficiencies that cause recurrent skin infections are pretty rare. The bad news is that the staph bacteria is very tough to get rid of completely, once it's on your skin.
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.
Lungs and heart: If the bacteria get into your lungs, you can develop pneumonia and other breathing problems from the abscesses that can form. Staph bacteria can also damage the heart valves and lead to heart failure.
Any suspicious area of red or painful skin. A high fever or fever accompanying skin symptoms. Pus-filled blisters. Two or more family members who have been diagnosed with a staph infection.
Symptoms of a Staph infection include redness, warmth, swelling, tenderness of the skin, and boils or blisters. How do Staph skin infections spread? Staph/MRSA lives on the skin and survives on objects for 24 hours or more.
Doctors often prescribe antibiotics for 7 to 10 days, although they may be taken for longer periods, depending on how the infection responds. Most people who take antibiotics for a staph infection feel better in two or three days.
For serious staph infections, vancomycin may be required. This is because so many strains of staph bacteria have become resistant to other traditional antibiotics.
Staph can cause serious infections if it gets into the blood and can lead to sepsis or death. Staph is either methicillin-resistant staph (MRSA) or methicillin-susceptible staph (MSSA). Staph can spread in and between hospitals and other healthcare facilities, and in communities.
Most of the time this means human skin bacteria, which for the most part won't be a problem. However, Staphylococcus aureus (also known as MRSA) has the potential to live in washing machines, as well as other parts of the home.
HIBICLENS is an OTC antimicrobial skin cleanser that contains 4% chlorhexidine gluconate, which kills bacteria (including staph) on contact and provides long-lasting antimicrobial activity.
“If there is fever, rapidly spreading redness, rapid heart rate, or extraordinary pain that is disproportionate to the wound or injury, that is when you tell the patient to visit the hospital,” he said.
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.
As long as a staph infection is active, it is contagious. Most staph infections can be cured with antibiotics, and infections are no longer contagious about 24 to 48 hours after appropriate antibiotic treatment has started.