Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with MRSA

Minocin is pretty, Minocin is good

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:34:24 -0800

Husband diagnosed with long-term staph infection. Is this MRSA? And should/can I get tested to see if I have it too? Background: My husband has had a bad rash for almost a year and after six months, I finally made him go to the doctor. One round of antibiotics sort of helped, but the rash came back worse a few months later. A GP and a dermatologist have given him three rounds of various antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Bactrim which resulted in a bad allergic reaction, and Levaquin) before finally running a stress test to figure out what this is resistant to. They've got him on something else this time (Minocycline), but it'll be two weeks before we know if it worked. It's a "penicillin-resistant" staphylococcus infection. Is this the MRSA everyone is talking about? Are MRSA and garden-variety staph two different things?

As for me, I've been experiencing fairly bad chest pains (lasting a few hours each) about three or four times a month for a few months now, pains which I chalked up to acid reflux. A glass of milk helps, but laying on my chest works better. My hips are so achy every morning that I hobble like an old lady at 25 and I feel generally crappy. These are all symptoms of a bad MRSA infection. And from what I've heard, sometimes people don't discover it's MRSA until they're gravely ill. I don't know if my symptoms are enough to merit a doctor's visit, though. Is there a test for MRSA? Should I get it? Is that what I should tell the receptionist when she asks the reason for my visit? (I'm already iffy about my GP--I went in to rule out a thyroid issue that might've caused recent weight gain issues and was sent home with a script for anti-depressants and an order to lose weight. I don't want to get the same pat on the head treatment this time around, considering MRSA is some nasty stuff that can result in ER visits and worse.)

I feel so incredibly uninformed by both of our doctors that I am not sure what to do except switch doctors and try this all over again with someone else (which is impractical, as our deductible is very high and we're paying for every single visit and test out of pocket). Is this my hypochondria or anxiety or is this is a "VISIT THE DOCTOR NOW!" situation? I'm incredibly frustrated and embarrassed and I don't know what to do. Googling "MRSA" is not helping my fears. YANAD, but it helps to know what to expect, what I should ask when I visit the doc and what others of you might have experienced in a similar situation.

Mom diagnosed with MRSA & has complications?

phox — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:33:36 -0800

Long story, starting with a diabetic having an infected kidney removed, ending with MRSA. MRSA. WTF. My diabetic mom went to the hospital in December with vomiting, and extremely high temperature (106). It turns out she had a kidney infection so badly, that it was non-functioning, pus filled sac which was promptly removed. After some time in the hospital, she has come home and recovered amazingly quick, returning to work only a few weeks out of the hospital. Visiting nurses were seeing her within the duration of when she was released from the hospital until she went back to work. She had a "blister" on her foot from what she thought was ill-fitting slippers. At the time her feet and practically entire body was bloated from what she has went through previously. This blister was "diagnosed" by the "nurse" saying it was Cellulitis for which her primary care physician put her on antibiotics for which crusted up and healed pretty quickly.

Fast forward a couple of months, she wakes up unable to move her knee which has become swollen. Upon a trip to the ER (suggested by her doctor she was not showing many symptoms besides the swelling), it was found she had fluid in her knee and it was cultured to see if it was infected. It was. With MRSA. She was admitted to the hospital for days on intervenous antibiotics and released and felt pretty decent for what I assumed to be a pretty nasty infection.

She came home about 2 weeks ago, and for the past week or so has been struggling with a hacking cough and shortness of breath upon lying down. She had received a pnemonia & flu innoculation before leaving the hospital. It is 7 am. I am panicking over whether or not to worry about this, because she does have a nurse that visits everyday (she receives antibiotics to combat the MRSA, and must for the next 6 weeks or so intervenously), whom says she is fine, and her doctor put her on Codeine cough syrup and mucinex.

Has anyone else dealt with this sort of thing, and WTF do I do? Reading the interwebs certainly doesn't help, some sites shrug it off as nothing, and others as life-threatening. Should I take her to the ER? Or trust them? I am so worried about this, I can't sleep so I ask advice from the hivemind, knowing I will probably get snarked for something, but typing it down, getting it off my chest helped anyways :).

PS I haven't found out what this bacteria was until she had the stitches removed from where they drained her knee (2 weeks later). Is there a chance I may have contracted it by hugging her or anything before she went for surgery, or have a reason to sanitize her surroundings? Or is there a way she can keep infecting herself, from cats or the like? (she has 3)

Sorry so long and thanks for any insight.

How do I avoid the unavoidable?

nickerbocker — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:48:01 -0800

I'm having a sexual relationship with someone who has MRSA and Hepatitis C and I'm concerned about getting either... She was recently diagnosed with Hepatitis C, but I knew about the MRSA. I keep reading mixed information on the Internet about both and I'm not sure what to believe. She got spots on her chest from the MRSA the other day, where as before I didn't see any open sores. Now I'm paranoid that I'm going to be infected with either or both diseases.

I am young (mid-twenties) and have a very healthy and strong immune system. We haven't had any kind of blood-to-blood contact (that I know of) but have been having unprotected sex for about a month now. Advice? Am I pretty much screwed on both accounts? Is there anyway I can continue this relationship without getting infected with either or is it inevitable?

I need to go see a doctor but haven't needed to in 10 years. I need to find a doctor first I suppose. Good thing I have health insurance. Maybe I should get a better life insurance policy before I'm diagnosed with anything?

Preventing recurrence of MRSA infection in a community space

ottereroticist — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 20:36:16 -0800

HygeineFilter: How to prevent the recurrence of MRSA infection in a community center? I'm on the board of directors for an organization that runs a community center. We serve a diverse population, including homeless and immuno-suppressed people.

Recently, a worker cut her hand while renovating the kitchen, resulting in an MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphlococcus aureus) infection that took three days in the hospital to clear up.

My question is, what specific steps do we need to take to minimize the risk of a recurrence -- and what do we not need to do?

We are planning to close our facility for a month and clean it from top to bottom (which it needs anyway). My sense is that the first priority is to deep-clean the bathrooms and kitchen and wash bedding and towels, using bleach as a disinfectant.

How thoroughly do we need to clean the "dry" areas of the house (not bathrooms or kitchen) -- do those need the bleach treatment too? Should we steam-clean the furniture and rugs? Or throw everything out and start over, as some in the community are suggesting?

Suggestions and information resources greatly welcome. Thanks for your help!