MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA is a staph infection that is immune to many types of antibiotics. (Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)/Antibiotic Resistance) Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium that lives on our skin and, most of the time, causes no ill effects. Problems may arise, however, if there is a break in the skin – through a cut, a puncture, or some other opening – that allows the staph to enter into the body.

An unchecked infection may develop into sepsis. Sepsis, which was often called blood poisoning, is the body’s life-threatening response to infection. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment.

Sepsis and septic shock can result from an infection anywhere in the body, such as pneumonia, influenza, or urinary tract infections. Worldwide, one-third of people who develop sepsis die. Many who do survive are left with life-changing effects, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain and fatigue,  organ dysfunction (organs don’t work properly), and/or amputations.

There are two types of MRSA infections: community-acquired (CA) and hospital-acquired (HA). The most common type is HA-MRSA, but CA-MRSA is becoming more common.

MRSA infection spread

Most often, MRSA infection spreads by skin-to-skin contact or through contact with items contaminated by the bacteria. For example, if you skin your knee on a surface that has MRSA, it could enter your body through the break in the skin.

Healthcare-acquired infections are spread by the people inside a healthcare facility. They may touch a patient who has MRSA and then transmit the bacteria to another patient. Patients may also contract MRSA in a facility if they touch contaminated objects, such as a bedside table or bed rails.

 Symptoms

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MRSA infections usually appear as a bump or infected area on the skin that might be:

  • Red
  • Swollen
  • Painful
  • Warm to the touch
  • Full of pus or other drainage
  • Accompanied by a fever

Who is at risk for MRSA infection?

Anyone can develop this type infection, however people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses do have a higher risk. MRSA also spreads easily within healthcare settings.

Treatment

Although MRSA is bacteria methicillin-resistant, it can often be treated with another type of antibiotic.

For effective MRSA treatment, the infection must be caught and treated as early as possible.

 Prevention

Not all infections can be prevented, but the chances of spreading infections can be greatly reduced by following these tips:

  • Wash your hands often, particularly if you are in a healthcare facility.
  • Keep wounds clean and covered.
  • Avoid sharing personal items, such as razors.

You can also help protect yourself by eating a healthy diet. Malnutrition, not consuming enough nutrients for your needs, can lower your body’s ability to fight infection.

If you suspect sepsis, call 9-1-1 or go to a hospital and tell your medical professional, “I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SEPSIS.” 

The information here is also available as a Sepsis Information Guide, which is a downloadable format for easier printing.

Would you like to share your story about sepsis or read about others who have had sepsis? Please visit Faces of Sepsis, where you will find hundreds of stories from survivors and tributes to those who died from sepsis.

Suggested Citation: Sepsis Alliance. Sepsis and MRSA. 2023. https://www.sepsis.org/sepsisand/mrsa/

Updated May 30, 2023.

Read Personal Stories of Sepsis and MRSA

Savon Khiev

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04/26/2022, my husband (38 years old) had acute ruptured appendicitis that led to severe sepsis. (Sepsis and Appendicitis) Luckily, we made it to the hospital in time after he returned back to Houston from Austin. It led to acidosis, collapsed lung, pericardial effusion, and he had a heart attack. He was in the hospital for about a week, but now we are told he may have an abscess because there’s a mass in his right abdomen. He had an exercise stress test and failed it, so he will be doing a nuclear stress test in a few days to see ... Read Full Story

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Brittany G.

Survivor, Survivor

It was Easter Sunday April 2023 that I went into septic shock. (Sepsis and Septic Shock) Early in the day I started vomiting, having chills, dizziness. It just didn’t stop along with other symptoms. Each hour got worse, I couldn’t eat or drink anything. Then I couldn’t stand up, it felt like my head was a slab of heavy concrete holding me down. My body was weak and yet my heart was racing at an alarming rate. As an overall healthy 32 year old/ avid runner and gym-goer, this wasn’t normal to me. It felt like my system was shutting ... Read Full Story

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Paul Borgman

Survivor, Survivor, Survivor

This is my story. It started four and a half years ago, at the age of 57. I had been fighting a chronic ulcer on my left foot due to non-diabetic neuropathy and also stress fractures in my metatarsal bones. I was being treated regularly by a podiatrist but wasn’t able to heal completely because as an energy engineer, I performed field audits and did a lot of walking. A few weeks after a visit to a hospital for some x-rays on my foot, I started feeling sick – urinary issues, lethargy, weakness, loss of appetite. Then in a few ... Read Full Story

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Samantha Cercena

Survivor, Survivor, Survivor, Survivor

While most were out celebrating and with their families, I got ring in 2022 in an ICU, alone, and on a vent. My sepsis journey started in 2020 when I contracted COVID-19. (Sepsis and COVID-19) Following my infection I developed the illness gastroparesis. By the beginning of 2021 I was using a feeding tube for all my nutritional needs. In November of 2021 my physicians decided that the tube wasn’t enough and put a central line in my chest to start TPN. I have no memory of the week before New Years, but I’ve learned from my family that my ... Read Full Story

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Aletheia C.

Survivor, Survivor, Survivor, Survivor, Survivor

It was a hot day in NM. I had only been in town a few months; still getting to know everything. I took a needed shower in the public facility I was at and borrowed a shaver to shave my legs. A couple hours later I felt horribly ill, like I had the worst flu. It came on suddenly; I couldn’t explain it. I somehow made it to where I was staying; spent the night flat barely moving. Someone convinced me to seek help, so I went to an Urgent Care. My fever was 103°F so they called transport. I ... Read Full Story

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MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA is a staph infection that is immune to many types of antibiotics. (Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)/Antibiotic Resistance) Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacteria that lives on our skin and, most of the time, causes no ill effects. Problems may arise, however, if there is a break in the skin – through a cut, a puncture, or some other opening – that allows the staph to enter into the body.