Biology Seminar

Benefits of MRSA MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is responsible for several difficult treatments of infections in humans. Many MRSA infections occur in hospitals and health care facilities with a higher rate in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. There are many solutions that can reduce these infections which are beneficial for people. “According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 70 percent of the bacteria that cause hospital-associated infections are resistant to at least one of the drugs commonly used to treat them. In the U.S., MRSA is associated with an estimated 19,000 deaths and $3.2 to $4.2 billion in added costs annually” (Garman, 2011). But there are many opportunities to prevent MRSA. “The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology - has published a second edition of its Guide to the Elimination of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Transmission in Hospital Settings in an effort to provide the most current evidence-based practice guidance to protect patients from healthcare-associated infections” (Garman, 2011). There are simple solutions that prevent transmission of MRSA in hospitals, most MRSA transmissions in hospitals occur on the hands of health care workers. By upkeep of hygiene, such as keeping hands clean by washing them with soap and water thoroughly as possible, to avoid contact by being around someone else who has wounds and sharing items with another individual who has the MRSA infection – i.e. clothes, towels, bench weights, dumbbells, and other objects that possibly had physically touched the infected wound. Another way to prevent MRSA is to properly cover your wound by using brand-new, clean bandages, and to guarantee employers the availability of adequate facilities and supplies by encouraging workers to practice good hygiene consistently while protecting your workplace – i.e. Hand sanitizers, alcohol-based hand rubs and

References: Many, P. S., 2008. Preventing Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant "Staphylococcus aureus" among Student Athletes. Journals of MRSA 24: 370-378 Alderson, K., 2009. Germ Wars. Journals of MRSA 81: 30-33 Torry, C., 2008. Multi-Tasking: Protecting Your Facilities from Infectious Diseases. Journals of MRSA 24: 34-37 Garman, L., 2011. APIC Updates its Guide to the Elimination of MRSA in Hospitals. Journals of MRSA.