How do you know if it's MRSA?

Question

My husband has a stye that developed into an abcess in his upper cheek. He's taking Augmentin for it, but the doc didn't drain it or do a culture. I'm worried that it's MRSA because the stye got bad so quickly. Also, it all started when he popped a zit by his lip and his lip got really swollen. That got better, but a few days later his eye developed the stye. I don't think he told that to the doc. Does MRSA produce worse symptoms than regular Staph. A? He doesn't have a regular doc, he went to an urgent care clinic. Should he go to the hospital if it doesn't get better soon? (he has good insurance, he just doesn't use it that often.) What can docs do for a MRSA infection?

Answer 1

Most MRSA's happen to patients who are hospitalized, so I'd guess MRSA is unlikely. Augmentin is pretty good, but sometimes CIPRO is better. sometimes a topical drug is better yet. He needs to find a 'regular doctor', urgent care docs do the best they can with acute problems, but.........

so, find an optometrist, ophthalmologist, dermatologist, or really sharp general practioner. good luck! and this is NOT 'medical advice'..........

Answer 2

The problem is not MRSA but the fact that your husband has an abscess in the face which could be very dangerous. At this point oral antibiotics do not really work well for abscesses. Your husband might need intravenous antibiotics and possibly drainage of the abscess.



The only was for you to know if it is MRSA is for the doctors to do culture and sensitivity of the pus. MRSA does not have specific symptoms that will distinguish it from other forms of bacteria that produces an abscess. As was previously mentioned in some of the answers that you got, MRSA is resistant to most antibiotic and the only was to know what antibiotics will work for MRSA is when the sensitivity test comes out.

Answer 3

My youngest daughter was hopitalized last year with a mrsa infection on her leg. One day it was a small pimple and the following day it was an abcess. (less than 24 hours)



I would recommend that your husband gets this cultured ASAP, and they change the antibiotics as the only one that kills MRSA is a sulfur based antibiotic vs. a broad spectrum antibiotic. MRSA can spread on the body, it can spread to others and can even become septic.



Until he gets to the ER I would go to a local health food store and get sulfur tablets (as long as he is not allergic) and take them as directed on the bottle. It is very important that you find out if it is MRSA as it can always come back as a MRSA infection. My daughter had to have surgery and she was very sick. Now she is on daily sulfur tablets to prevent it as well as benedryll.



Good luck

If you want to talk more about this email me at [e-mail]



FYI- even the infectious disease specialists didn't really have any definitive answers as to how to prevent this in the future. I found out by looking up information on the internet.

Take Care

Answer 4

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Methicillin is an antibiotic in the penicillin family. S. aureus is a very common bacterium and one of the principal agents of bacterial infection in humans. S. aureus infections include impetigo (which is also caused by strep bacteria), boils, carbuncles and deep abscesses. The bacterium is virulent and can spread to other areas of the body. It is one of the more common causes of bacterial endocarditis, a serious infection of the heart valves. It can spread to the joints, causing destructive infectious arthritis. It also commonly infects the bones, causing osteomyelitis.



Only a physician can correctly diagnose this very contagious condition and I'd urge him to discuss this with a health care provider. More information on MRSA can be found here:

http://health.ivillage.com/infectious/infstaph/0,,691v,00.html



Wishing you well!