Rapid MRSA Test Now Available in the U.S.
Posted on January 7, 2008
Leave a Comment
American medical professionals now have a new weapon in their anti-Staph arsenal. Last week the Food and Drug Administration approved a blood test that can detect the superbug known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, in under two hours.
The new test, manufactured by BD diagnostics, identified 100 percent of MRSA-positive specimens in clinical trials. In addition, the speedy new test is a significant improvement over other MRSA tests which take more than two days to yield results.
“The BD GeneOhm test is good news for the public health community. Rather than waiting more than two days for test results, health care personnel will be able to identify the source of a staph infection in only two hours, allowing for more effective diagnosis and treatment,” announced Daniel G. Schultz, M.D., director of the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
Fast, accurate lab results mean doctors can begin treating infections with the appropriate antibiotic almost immediately. Selection of the proper antibiotic is critical in the treatment of MRSA, and can decrease recovery time and the serious complications sometimes associated with methicillin-resistant infections.
BD Diagnostics is currently developing additional rapid tests to aid in the detection of the healthcare-associated infections vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Clostridium difficile.
Maryland Expected to Begin Tracking Hospital-Acquired MRSA Infections
Posted on December 20, 2007
Leave a Comment
The Maryland Health Care Commission, an independent state regulatory agency, is expected to vote today for the state to consider methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a reportable disease. There is currently no requirement for Maryland state and local health departments to track and record MRSA, the virulent superbug that can develop into a lethal infection.
Consideration of new reporting requirements began earlier this fall following an outbreak of over twenty MRSA infections in Montgomery County students. While none of those cases were fatal, a Maryland special education teacher died from MRSA-related complications earlier this month.
The Commission is currently seeking to develop a system for collecting and distributing data on healthcare-associated MRSA infections, not the community-acquired strain that has been at the center of media attention in recent weeks. However, the Commission is recommending a statewide public information campaign to underscore the importance of handwashing in preventing the spread of MRSA.
Pennsylvania School District Involves Parents, Teachers in Fight Against MRSA
Posted on December 20, 2007
Leave a Comment
When a school in Penns Valley Area School District was notified last week of a student with a methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, District officials quickly mobilized to ensure the safety of all students and employees. A multi-pronged approach included communication with the Pennsylvania Department of Health office in Williamsport, parental notification, teacher education, and disinfection by custodial staff.
Although consultation with the Department of Health indicated that transmission among students was not likely, all parents of Centre Hall Elementary School students received a letter notifying them that a student had been diagnosed with MRSA. The notice from Assistant Superintendent Brian Griffith was designed to help parents spot potential cases of MRSA infections in their children, the Centre Daily Times reported.
In addition, District officials involved teachers in the detection of the potentially lethal superbug by making them aware of the telltale signs of MRSA. Increased disinfection measures were also implemented at the school.
Penns Valley Area School District parents responded positively to the efforts of school and district officials.
Infection Control Experts Say Hospitals Not Doing Enough to Prevent MRSA
Posted on December 12, 2007
Leave a Comment
Half of American health care facilities are not doing enough to stop the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to a poll of infection control professionals. The online survey conducted by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) revealed that while 59 percent of respondents work at facilities that are adopting or have already adopted measures to address MRSA, 50 percent think their institutions could be doing more.
The APIC survey served as an informal six-month follow-up to the organization’s MRSA Prevalence Study released in June. The MRSA Prevalence Study indicated that MRSA was “significantly more widespread” than previously thought, with rates measuring eight times higher than earlier estimates.
The follow-up poll sought to gauge the impact of the MRSA Prevalence Study results on infection control measures in hospital settings. 41 percent of respondents said that their facility had not implemented any new prevention measures since June. Explanations indicated that “many infection prevention programs are still inadequately funded and that facilities lack resources, staff, and buy-in from senior management to prevent the transmission of MRSA, ” according to Kathy L. Warye, Chief Executive Officer of APIC.
APIC provides their membership with guidelines for implementing a MRSA transmission prevention program. Recommended components include risk assessment, surveillance, hand hygiene, contact precautions, proper housekeeping, and testing of new admissions and high risk groups. Controlling MRSA also requires the explicit support of hospital administrators, and a transformation of the facility’s culture, APIC guidelines suggest.
Maryland Teacher’s Death Linked to MRSA
Posted on December 11, 2007
Leave a Comment
A Montgomery County, Maryland teacher died on Sunday, December 9, 2007 due to complications related to the dangerous superbug known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. Merry King, 48, was a resident of Silver Spring and taught special education students at Herbert Hoover Middle School in Rockville.
Rockville, Maryland is close to Baltimore, the area with the highest rate of MRSA infections in the United States.
King had been absent from her job at Herbert Hoover Middle School since November 30, 2007, and was hospitalized on December 4 after pain throughout her body worsened, her daughter told the Washington Post. She succumbed to the MRSA infection on Sunday evening after six days in a coma.
There is no indication that King contracted the MRSA infection at the Herbert Hoover Middle School. A school spokesperson said no one at the school was at increased risk of developing drug-resistant staph, but King’s classroom was sanitized with a bleach solution as a precautionary measure.
MRSA Related Hospitalizations Surge More Than 100%
Posted on December 7, 2007
Leave a Comment
Hospitalizations caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are on the rise in the United States, ballooning 62% between 1999 and 2005. During the same period, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, accounted for a 119% jump in hospitalizations, reports a new study in the December 2007 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases published by the Centers for Disease Control.
The authors of the new study examined hospital discharge data from 1999 to 2005 and estimated that MRSA-related hospitalizations more than doubled, growing from 127,036 to 278,203. The estimated number of hospitalizations involving S. aureus–related infections also increased remarkably from 294,570 to 477,927.
So why is the rate of hospitalizations due to MRSA on the rise? “Contrary to the generally accepted view, community-associated MRSA strains may be spreading into the healthcare system rather than the other way around, ” the study authors suggested.
The study did not find a significant variation among geographic regions, with the rate of staph infections rising as follows:
- Northeast: 5% per year
- Midwest: 7% per year
- South: 7% per year
- West: 8% per year.
The rate of infections caused by the MRSA variety of staph rose 9% per year in the Northeast, 11% per year in the Midwest, and 12% per year in the South. Although the incidence of MRSA-related infections is lowest in the West, the rate of increase in the West was 18% per year during the study period.
Based on study findings, the researchers recommend prioritizing Staphylococcus aureus and more specifically, MRSA, in national disease control efforts. The study results indicate the need for expanded reporting requirements at the national level and increased research funding, as well as further inquiry into the relationship between community-acquired infections and hospital-acquired infections.
West Virginia Man Sues after Contracting MRSA During Hospitalization
Posted on December 6, 2007
Leave a Comment
The superbug known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is at the center of a medical malpractice suit filed against Charleston Area Medical Center in southern West Virginia on November 14, 2007. The lawsuit filed in Kanawha Circuit Court alleges that the facility’s negligence and carelessness caused Gerald George of Dunbar, West Virginia to contract a MRSA infection that caused injury, disfigurement, and a shortened life expectancy.
George was diagnosed with MRSA on September 23, 2005 following coronary artery bypass surgery performed at Charleston Area Medical Center on September 6, 2005. The malpractice lawsuit claims that MRSA bacteria were introduced into George’s body via an indwelling line, resulting in a lengthy hospital stay, temporary and permanent injuries, and ongoing medical expenses.
Kelly George, the wife of Gerald George, is also a plaintiff in the suit. She is seeking compensatory damages due to the “irreparable loss of comfort, society, convenience and consortium from her husband, ” the West Virginia Record reported.
National Handwashing Awareness Week
Posted on December 5, 2007
Leave a Comment
December 2 – 8, 2007 is National Handwashing Awareness Week in the United States, and schools across the country are taking the opportunity to remind students that handwashing saves lives. Handwashing is the most important measure individuals can take to prevent the spread of infection and illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Headlines about staph infections, especially the superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), have encouraged families, schools, and healthcare facilities to become increasingly reliant on hand sanitizers. However, such products are no substitute for good old fashioned soap and warm water. The CDC offers the following guidelines for proper handwashing:
- Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.
- Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.
- Continue rubbing hands for 15-20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing “Happy Birthday” twice through to a friend.
- Rinse hands well under running water.
- Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are recommended if soap and water are unavailable. See the CDC handwashing feature article for more tips.
The CDC offers medical professionals and educators posters, brochures, and other publications about hygiene and infection control. Visit the CDC Ounce of Prevention Campaign site for further details.
MRSA: Not the Only Killer Staph
Posted on December 4, 2007
Leave a Comment
The death of a high school outside linebacker in Plano, Texas serves as a stark reminder that the superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is not unique in its ability to quickly take lives. Fifteen-year-old Chad Jeter injured his leg while skateboarding on Thanksgiving and succumbed to a staph infection last week, but it wan’t MRSA that claimed the life of the T.H. Williams High School sophomore.
While the media spotlight has focused on MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant type of staph that killed four children in October, even strains of staph that respond to antibiotics can cause lethal infections. The Collin County epidemiologist told Dallas Morning News reporters that staph can be rapidly fatal even if it isn’t a variety that resists treatment. This is particularly true if the infection is not treated promptly.
County health officials are confident that Jeter did not spread the staph infection to others since he did not have a draining wound or abscess. A letter sent home with Williams High School students assured families that the infection was not related to school activities and that there was no evidence other students had been exposed to the bacteria.
Drug Resistant Staph Infections Cause Two Deaths in the Texas Panhandle
Posted on November 16, 2007
Leave a Comment
Two Texas panhandle residents died from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, during the last two weeks, the Texas Department of State Health Services has reported. Health officials have not released the names of the two deceased individuals, but one is believed to be 13-year-old Mason Chandler Frost of Borger who died on November 9, 2007. Although the official cause of death is still pending, the seventh grade boy’s doctors believe he succumbed to MRSA.
Mason Chandler Frost was not in school for the two weeks prior to his death at Nortwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo. Some parents in the Borger Independent School District are concerned that the schools are not doing enough to assure the safety of students, according to KAMR. The Superintendent announced that the school Frost attended was cleaned on Saturday, but there are no plans to close the school facilities for disinfection.
Mason Chandler Frost is the fifth American youth to die from a community-acquired drug resistant staph infection since early October. The other deaths occurred in Virginia, Mississippi, New York, and New Hampshire.
« go back — keep looking »