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MRSA and the facts

• MRSA is cited on the death certificates of more than 1,000 people every year, with thousands more left severely ill or disabled by the infection.

• MRSA can affect anybody, regardless of age. There have even been recent instances of MRSA involving babies and young adults.

• MRSA rates in the UK are among the highest in Europe.

• Good hygiene is all that is required to prevent the spread of MRSA. Thorough hand washing and drying between caring for people and whenever necessary has shown to be the single most important measure in reducing cross-infection.

• Some serious MRSA infections can be fatal. However, most of those who die with an MRSA infection are already seriously ill with another medical condition

• MRSA is prevalent in the community and can be carried by people without causing any detriment to their health.

• Patients undergoing surgical procedures or who require catheters or drips are vulnerable to infection if Health Authority policies and procedures are not followed.

• Mainly transmitted by poor hygiene in hospitals and contributed to by the lack of barrier nursing facilities in hospitals.

The MRSA strain of SA can cause a range of infections, including:

• boils and abscesses,

• Impetigo (an infectious skin disease),

• cellulitis (an infection of the skin and the fat and tissues that lie immediately beneath it),

• septic wounds,

• chest or urinary tract infection,

• lung infection (pneumonia),

• septicaemia (blood poisoning),

• septic shock (widespread infection of the blood that leads to a fall in blood pressure and organ failure),

• infection of the heart lining (endocarditis),

• severe joint problems (septic arthritis),

• bone marrow infection (osteomyelitis),

• internal abscesses anywhere within the body,

• inflammation of the tissues that surround the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), and

• toxic shock syndrome (a rare, serious bacterial infection).

These infections might be caused by something other than MRSA, so laboratory testing is the only sure way to tell if you have MRSA.