Summary: Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is an important infection with an incidence rate ranging from 20 to 50 cases/100,000 population per year. Between 10% and 30% of these patients will die from SAB.
Mortality due to staphylococcal infections varies widely. Untreated S aureus bacteremia carries a mortality rate that exceeds 80%. The mortality rate of staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome is 3-5%.
If left untreated, staph infections can be deadly. Rarely, staph germs are resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat them. This infection, called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), causes severe infection and death.
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.
Sepsis, which is an infection of the bloodstream, and one of the most dangerous forms of staph infection. Symptoms include rapid breathing, an elevated heart rate, fever, chills, and disorientation.
If the infection is severe, you may be sent to the emergency room. If staph is found in the bloodstream, you will be admitted to the hospital to be treated.
Even healthy people often carry these bacteria, experiencing no related issues most of the time (or only minor infections). However, if the staphylococcus bacteria manage to enter a person's bloodstream, lungs, heart, joints, or bones, a staph infection can become a serious concern.
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.
Staph infections are caused by staphylococcus bacteria. These germs can live on contaminated implanted medical devices and improperly cleaned needles, such as those used for tattoos and injecting drugs. If an area of your skin is broken, skin-to-skin contact or touching contaminated objects may also lead to infection.
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.
Bacteremia. Also known as a bloodstream infection, bacteremia occurs when staph bacteria enter the bloodstream. A fever and low blood pressure are signs of bacteremia.
Staph bacteria are very adaptable. Many varieties have become resistant to one or more antibiotics. For example, today, most staph infections can't be cured with penicillin. Antibiotic-resistant strains of staph bacteria are often described as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains.
In healthy people, the body's natural immune defenses typically keep CA-MRSA infections in the skin, and appropriate antibiotics can effectively treat them. However, patients who are immunocompromised have difficulty fighting the bacteria, which can become invasive and cause life-threating infections.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can survive on some surfaces, like towels, razors, furniture, and athletic equipment for hours, days, or even weeks. It can spread to people who touch a contaminated surface, and MRSA can cause infections if it gets into a cut, scrape, or open wound.
However, for most staph infections, the incubation period commonly ranges from about four to 10 days.
Touching skin-to-skin can spread staph from one person to another. Staph can be picked up from surfaces that are often touched, like phones or doorknobs. Sometimes shared personal items, like towels, soap, or sports equipment can spread staph. Pus from an abscess is especially contagious on skin or surfaces.
Staph skin infections, including MRSA , generally start as swollen, painful red bumps that might look like pimples or spider bites. The affected area might be: Warm to the touch. Full of pus or other drainage.
S. aureus is most often spread to others by contaminated hands. The skin and mucous membranes are usually an effective barrier against infection. However, if these barriers are breached (e.g., skin damage due to trauma or mucosal damage due to viral infection) S.
“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.
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). MRSA was first identified in the 1960's and was mainly found in hospitals and nursing homes.
Is it contagious? Staph infections are contagious through person-to-person contact. If an individual with staph has a wound that oozes, someone who comes into contact with this liquid can contract the infection.
How long it takes for a staph skin infection to heal depends on the type of infection and whether it's treated. A boil, for example, may take 10 to 20 days to heal without treatment, but treatment may speed up the healing process. Most styes go away on their own within several days.