INFECTION CAUSED BY MRSA-4

STY (Hordelum) :

sty is tendered ,painful red bumps located at at the base of eyelash or under or inside the eyelids.The medical term used for sty is hordelum.
A sty results in an acute infection of th oil gland of the eyelid(meibomain gland) that occurs after these glands have been clogged.A sty may also arise from an infected hair follicle at the base of an eyelash. The bacterium staphylococcus aureus is responsible for 90-95% cases of sty.
Staph aureus is frequently found on skins.A sty can develop as a complication of blepharitis(inflammation of the eyelids)
A sty is sometime confused with a chalazion which is a type of cyst and arise due to chronic inflammation in the meibomain gland and is painless as compared to sty.

SIGN SYMPTOMS AND PROGNOSIS OF STY :
The first symptom of sty is generally redness,tenderness and pain in the affected area.The eye may feel irritated or "scratchy".Later symptoms can include swelling, discomfort due to blinking of eye and sensitivity to light.A common sign of a sty is a small,yellowish spot at the center of the bumps that develops as pus expands in the area.


People with certain chronic condition (like diabetes mellitus, chronic blepharitis, seborrhea and some chronic debilitating illness ) are more prone to develop sty as compared to normal one.
In many susceptible case stress seems to trigger the development of sty.

Studies has shown that persons who have high level of blood lipids are more susceptible to blockage in the oil gland including those of eyelids and therefore are more likely to develop sty.

A sty is harmless in majority of cases.In most of cases sty ruptures on its own within a few week leading to relief from the symptom.But still some people have to go under some surgical treatment.
Progression of systematic infection is extremely rare but still we should remain careful as some instances has been recorded.

INFECTIONS CAUSED BY MRSA-3

ABSCESS INFECTION:
This above fig is of abscess infection in human body
Abscess is a local accumulation of pus anywhere in body.The following are some examples of abscess:
1. A skin abscess is better known as a common boil;
2.A pritonsillar abscess is a persistent collection of pus behind the tonsils and
3.A perianal abscess is a pool of pus that forms next to the anus; often causing considerable tenderness and swelling in that area and pain on sitting down and so on defecating

INFECTIONS CAUSED BY MRSA-2

this is second type of infection caused by MRSA.
A boli is also reffered as skin abscess,is a localized infection deep in the skin.A boil generally starts as a reddened,tender area.Over time the area becomes firm and hard.Eventually the center of the abscess softens and becomes filled with infection -fighting white blood cell that the body sends from the bloodstream to eradicate the infection.This collections of white blooad cells,bacteria and protein is known as pus.Fnally the pus "forms a head" which can be surgically opened or spontaneously drain out through the surface of the skin.

There are seven different types of boils,but the main are listed below.....

1. FURUNCLE or CARBUNCLE : This is the abbscess of skin caused by bacterium staphylococcus aureus.A furuncle may have one or more opening onto the skin and may be associated with a fever or chills.

2. CYSTIC ACNE : This is a type of abscess that is formed when oil ducts become clogged and infected.cystic acne affects deeper skin tissue that the more superficial inflammation from common acne.cystic acne is most common on the face and typically occurs in teenage age.

3. HERADENITIS SUPPURATIVA : This is a condition in which there are multiple abscess that formed under the armpits and often in the groin region. These area are a result of local inflammation of the sweet glands.This form of skin infection is difficult to treat with antibiotics alone and typically requires a surgical procedure to remove the involved sweat gland in order to stop the skin inflammation

4. PILONIDAL CYST : This is a special kind of abscess that occurs in the crease of buttocks.Pilonidal cyst often begins as a tiny area of infections in the base of the area of skin from which the hair grows(the hair follicle).with irritation from direct pressure,overtime the inflammed area enlarges to become a firm,painful,tender nodule making it difficult to sit without discomfort.These frequently forms after long trip that involved prolonged sitting

WHY DO BOILS OCCURS??

There are many causes of bolis.Some boils can be caused by an ungrown hair,other can forms as a result of a spinter or other foreign material that has become logged in the skin.some boils auch as acne are caused by plugged sweat gland that become infected.
The skin is an important part of our immune defense against material and microbes that are foreign to our body.Any break in the skin,a cut or a scrap can develop into an abscess.

WHO IS LIKELY TO DEVELOP A BOIL??

Anyone can develop a boli but people with diabetis or kidney failure and hypogammaglobulinemia are more prone to this as their immune system has become too weak to resist it.

TREATMENT OF BOIL :

The primary treatment for boil is heat application usually with hot soaks or hot packs.Heat application increases the circulation to the area and allows the body to bette fight of the infections by bringing antibodies and white blood cells to the site of infection.
As long as boil is firm and small,opening the area and draining the boil is not helpful,even if area is painful,however once the boil becomes soft"forms head"(i.e. a small pustule is noted in the boil it is ready to drain and after draining pain is relifed.
Many medication can suppress the normal immune system and increase the risk of developing boils,these medications include cortisone medication(prednisone and prednisolone) and medication used for cancer chemotherapy so we should remain extra careful if we are taking these kinds of medications.
Sometimes antibiotics can also be used to elimintate the accompanying bacterial infection.Especially if there is an infection of surrounding skin,doctors generally prescribes antibiotics but still additional surgical operations is needed to cure this.

INFECTIONS CAUSED BY MRSA -1

this is image of cellulitis - a skin infection caused due to MRSA.

MRSA infections starts out with a small red bumps that can quickly turn into painful abscesses.
Cellulitis refers to infections of skin or fat or tissue that lie immediately beneath the skin ,usually starting as a small red bumps in the skin.

Symptoms of cellulitis :
cellulitis usually begins as a small area of tenderness,swelling and redness.As this red area begins to enlarge the person may develops a fever sometimes with chills and sweats and swollen lymph nodes(swollen glands) near the area of infected skins.
unlike impetigo which is a very superficial skin infection,cellulitis refers to an infection also involving the skin's deeper layer:the dermis and subcutaneous tissue.here main bacteria which cause cellulitis is staphylococcus but sometimes ocasionaley some other bacteria may also cause cellulitis.

Risk factor for cellulitis :
People whose immune system have been weekend for any reason (including chemotherapy for cancer and other immune supressing drugs) and also those who are dibetic are at higher risks for developing cellulitis.
also people with poor leg circulation may often develop scaly redness on the shins and ankles; this is called statis dermatitis and is often mistaken for the bacterial infection of cellulitis.

Causes of cellulitis :

the majority cases of cellulitis is caused either by staph(staphylococcus) or strep(streptococcus) bacteria.
cellulitis may also caused by some other types of bacteria,like in children below the age of H.flu(Hemophilus influenza) may cause cellulitis especially on face,arm and upper torso.Cellulitis from a dog or cat bite or scratch may be caused by the bacteria which has a vey short incubation period of only four to twenty-four hrs.Aeromonas hydrophilia,vibrio vulnificus and other bacteria are cause of cellulitis that develos after exposure to freshwater or sea water. Pasterulla multocida,Pseudomonas aeruginosa is another type of bacteria that cause cellulitis,typically after a puncture wound.

Is Cellulitis contagious??

cellulits is not contagious because it is an infection of skin's deeper layer(the dermis and subcutaneous tissue), and the skin's top layer(epidermis) provides a cover over infection.

How is cellulitis treated?

firstly it is important for the doctor to distinguish whether the inflammation is due to an infection or not?The history and physical examination may provide clue in this regard,as can sumtime an elevated white blood cell count.A culture of bacteria may also be valuable but in many cases the concentration of bacteria may be low and culture fails to demonstrates the causative organism.
When this becomes difficult or imposible for the doctor's to know whether it is inflammable or not then doctors just start treating with antibiotics for confirmation,if condition does not respond then it may need to change. For example if inflammation is thought to be because of auto immune disorder treatment may be with corticosteroid.

MRSA Bacteria

This is a colored transmission electron micrograph of MRSA -Methicillin Resistance staptycoccus aureus. a gram positive, round (coccus) bacterium.
It is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics. S.aureus is carried by around 30% of population without causing any symptoms. However in vulnerable people such as those that have recently had surgey, it can cause wound infection,pneumonia and blood poisoning.

CAUSES OF MRSA

Although the survival tactic of bacteria contribute to antibiotic resistant,human bears most of the responsibility for the problems. leading cause of antibiotic resistance includes

*Unnecesary antibiotic use in humans : Like other superbugs MRSA is also a result of decades of excessive and unnecesary use of antibiotics.Foryears antibiotics have been prescribed for cold, Flu and other viral infection that doesn't respond to these drugs as well as for simple bacterial infection that normally clear to their own.

* Antibiotics in food and water : Prescription drugs are not the only source of antibiotics.In the UNITED STATES the antibiotics can be found in beef cattle,pigs and chickens. The same antibiotics then find their way into municipal water system when the runoff from the feedlots contaminates stream and ground water. Routine feeding of antibiotics to animal is banned in EUROPEAN UNION and many other industrilized country.Antibiotics given in proper doses to animal who are sick doesn't appear to produce resistant bacteria.

*GERM MUTATION : Even when antibiotic are used appropriately,the contribute to the rise of drug resistant bacteria because they don't destroy even the germ they target.Bacteria live on a evolutionary fast track so germ that survive treatment with one antibiotic soon learn to resist other. And because bacteria mutate much more quickly than new drugs can be produced,some germs end upto resistant to just about everything.That's why only a handful of drugs are now more effective against most forms of staph.

RISK FACTORS IN MRSA

RISK FACTORS IN Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus


Because hospital and community strains of MRSA generall occurs in different setting,the risk factor for the two strains difer.
Risk factor for HA( hospital accquried) MRSA include :

* A current or recent hospitalization : MRSA remains a concern in hospitals,where it can extract the most vulnerable older adult and people with wekend immune system,burns,surgical wounds, or surgical wounds or serious underlyng health problems.A 2007 report from TheAssociation for Professional infection control and epidermiology estimated that 1.2 billion hospital patients are infected with MRSA each year in united states.they had also estimated that approx 432000 are colonizes with it.

* Residing in a long term care facility :- MRSA is far more prevalent in these facilities than it is in hospitals.carriers of MRSA have aaility to spread it even if they are not sick.
*Invansive devices : people who are on dialysis, are catherized or having feeding tubes or other invansive devices are at higher risk.

*Recent antibiotic use: Treatment with fluroquinolones (ciproflaxin,ofloxafcin or levoflaxin) or cephalosporin antibiotics can increase the risk of HA-MRSA.



The main risk factors for CA-MRSA are



*Young age: CA-MRSA can be paticularly dangerous in childerns.Often entering the body through a cut or scrap,MRSA can quicky cause a wide spread infection.children may be susseptible because their immune system aren't fully developed or they don't yet have antibodies to common germs.

*Participating in contact sport : CA-MRSA have spread in both amatuer and professional sport's team. The bacteria spreads eaisly through cuts and abrasion and skin to skin contact.
Also sharing towel and atheletic equipments can increase the risk of CA-MRSA.

* Having a weekend immune system: People with weekend immune system including those living with HIV/AIDS are more likely to have severe CA-MRSA.

* Association with health care workers: People who are in close contacts in health care workers are at increased risk of serious staph infection