Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is known as MRSA, is a very serious infection that is highly resistant to antibiotic treatments. This infection can be spread by touch, putting anyone who is near a patient or individual with the infection at risk of MRSA. This means that healthcare professionals with wounds on their hands, for instance, could come into contact and suffer a MRSA infection. Patients who are exposed to the bacteria may also become infected and suffer potentially deadly side effects.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said that one in three people can carry staph bacteria in their noses without an kind of sign of illness. Two out of 100 are recognized as being carriers of MRSA itself. Staph does cause MRSA, but the number of infections within the United States have begun to fall.
MRSA can be prevented, so if you’ve been infected while working with patients or as a patient around individuals who may be carriers, it’s important to report the conditions the resulted in your infection. MRSA can lead to very serious conditions such as surgical site infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia, all of which are difficult to treat due to the bacteria’s resistance to antibiotics.
To know if MRSA is the cause of your infection, a laboratory culture needs to be completed. Once this has been collected, you’ll have evidence of the bacteria in your body and in the workplace where you spend your time. Or, if you’re a patient, you’ll be able to link your sickness to the hospital where you stayed for treatment. At that point, you can discuss your options for a personal injury claim with your attorney.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “General Information About MRSA in Healthcare Settings,” accessed Oct. 21, 2015
