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When MRSA Gets Personal
=======================

Protecting Yourself Against a Potentially Deadly 'Superbug'
-----------------------------------------------------------

MRSAAn example of the boil that often accompanies MRSA infection. Many
of those infected with the superbug are surfboard shape playing cards familiar with these
telltale signs. (University of South Florida College of Medicine) By
RICHARD L. OEHLER, M.D.
Oct. 22, 2007 Font Size

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When promo playing cards Wilson (name changed to protect confidentiality) arrived at
the emergency department at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in
Tampa, Fla., one night in October, he had a common complaint.

"I think I've gotten bitten playing cards promotional a spider," he said. On his thigh,
several large raised skin lesions were visible.

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"These aren't spider bites," his physician, Dr. Yvonne Dunn, remarked.
"You have a skin infection called community-acquired MRSA. Your boils
will need to be opened and drained, but with proper care, you should
be OK."

The patient motorcycle insurance intently. "Just my luck," he said.

What Is MRSA?

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common germs we encounter
renters insurance day. It is a normal (and usually harmless) germ indie clothes our skin and
in our nose.

Infections may occur when the organisms get into the body through
breaks in the skin (such as cuts, cheap renters insurance open wounds, surgical
incisions or catheters in a person's vein) and multiply rapidly. MRSA
stands for methicillin-resistant ford insurance aureus. MRSA is a more
resistant form of the germ that has become a serious cause of human
infections in the hospital, and recently, in the community.

Where Does MRSA Occur?

MRSA has been a serious problem in hospitals since the early 1960s,
when increasing use of powerful antibiotics led to germ resistance.

In health care settings, MRSA causes tens of thousands of surgical
infections, bloodstream infections, pneumonias indie style infections of
medical devices each year. Concern over the spread of MRSA between
patients in the hospital is so great, that many hospitals isolate
patients who have MRSA so that other patients are not exposed.

Over the past decade, there has been a substantial increase in the
number of MRSA infections imprinted playing cards people who have never been hospitalized.
Experts believe these are due to a new strain of MRSA that originated
outside of the hospital. This germ, called "USA 300," is spreading
across the country and producing hundreds of thousands of new
infections each year. These infections can range from simple skin
boils or abscesses to pneumonia and even to life-threatening
infections.

Because USA 300 has become so widespread, the strain is now commonly
found in hospitals, where MRSA made its first appearance decades ago.

"We've really come full circle with MRSA," Dunn said. "Now playing cards promotion community strain of staph is the car insurance strain in the hospital,
and it's far more aggressive in many ways."

Signs and Symptoms

Outside the hospital, most MRSA infections cause simple skin
infections.

"If it is on your skin and has lumps, bumps or pus, then there's a
good chance it's due to Staphylococcus aureus," said Dr. John Toney,
an infectious diseases specialist at the Tampa VA Hospital.

In many cases, these lesions are initially misdiagnosed cheap house insurance brown
recluse spider bites or other insect bites.

"Brown recluse spiders tend to be indigenous to the central and
Southwestern U.S.," Toney said. "They are much rarer in places such as
Florida jumbo playing cards the Atlantic and Pacific coastal states. In fact, many of
these 'spider bites' are being misdiagnosed and are really MRSA skin
infections."

Though there is a tendency for physicians to prescribe antibiotics for
infections, an antibiotic pill may not be the answer for MRSA.

"With the community strains," Toney asserted, "the most common class
of antibiotics, which include penicillin, are usually not effective.
Although we have other antibiotics we can prescribe, the best therapy
automobile insurance to drain the pus."

For patients in a medical facility, hospital-acquired infections can
lead to serious complications. MRSA is the leading cause of these
hospital-acquired infections. Hospital-acquired MRSA full color playing cards may
result from germs on medical devices such as IVs, urinary catheters,
pacemakers and artificial joints.

A hospital-acquired staph infection may only have subtle signs at
first, such as a change in alertness or a low fever. An infectious
disease specialist's role "is to assist other health care providers in
identifying patients with early hospital infections. If discovered
early, serious infections should be treated quickly and aggressively
to prevent severe complications or death," Toney noted.

How to Protect Yourself

Outside of the hospital, Staphylococcus aureus infections bridge size playing cards easily
spread by close personal contact. This may include shaking hands,
sharing exercise equipment or participating in close contact sports.

Recent studies have demonstrated sexual transmission of MRSA -- a
testament to the germ's versatility. Some people, including those who
have recently taken antibiotics, those who have had MRSA in the past
and those in close contact with an infected person, are more likely to
get the infection.

The simplest way to prevent MRSA is through regular cheap insurance washing and
use of antiseptic hand gels. Other approaches, such as not sharing
personal grooming emo clothing house insurance towels, can also decrease the risk to you
and your family.

For people admitted to a hospital or health care facility, some of the
same precautions apply, but a patient needs to be proactive in other
ways to keep safe.

"Ask questions," Dunn said. "Find out what your hospital does to
control MRSA infections. Do they have an effective infection control
program? Do their surgical site infection rates differ from other
similar hospitals in your community? And lastly, if a hospital staff
person or independent fashion indie clothing in or out of your room and does not wash his
or her hands, don't be afraid to remind them to do so."

After a three-day hospital stay, Mr. Wilson returned home to continue
his recovery from his cheap auto insurance poker size playing cards "the superbug." He was much more
informed about protecting himself from MRSA -- and perhaps, a little
less wary playing cards custom poker spiders.

***

Dr. Richard Oehler is assistant professor of medicine in the division
of infectious emo clothes and international medicine at the University of
South Florida College of Medicine.

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