MRSA Information

Dear Parents,
Recently, there has been a significant amount of coverage in the news about Methicillin-Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA), implying that this is a new disease. MRSA is not a new infection. In the past, MRSA infections were seen mostly in hospitals, but now they are prevalent in community settings, too. Because the occurrence of these infections in community settings is relatively new, some people become alarmed when they hear about them. In an effort to ease your concerns about MRSA, Lutheran Children's Hospital has developed this tip sheet to aid you in protecting your family.

• Staphylococcus aureus, often referred to as "staph," are bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people.
• Most staph skin infections are minor (such as pimples and boils) and can be treated without antibiotics. Some serious infections (such as pneumonia or surgical wound infections) do require the use of antibiotics to treat the infection.
• MRSA is a type of staph infection that is resistant to a particular group of common antibiotics, including methicillin.
• MRSA infections can be treated. Treatment depends on the site and severity of the infection.

Preventing MRSA
There are many actions that you can take to prevent staph or MRSA skin infections:

• Make sure all family members wash their hands well and often using warm water and soap for 30 seconds—the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice. Hand washing is the most important thing you can do to prevent MRSA.
• Read our brochure Handwashing, it's not just a restroom thing! To view this document, you'll need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Use alcohol-based instant hand sanitizers if soap and water is not available and the hands are not visibly soiled.
• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
• Avoid sharing personal items (e.g. towels, washcloths, razors) that come into contact with bare skin.
• Routinely disinfect frequently touched surfaces and surfaces that come into direct contact with skin.
• Strongly encourage children and teens to shower after all sporting events and gym class.
• Avoid sharing any sports equipment or uniforms.
• Wash uniforms and towels after each use with detergent in hot water.
• Use a barrier (e.g. clothing or a towel) between your skin and shared equipment such as weight-training benches.

Call your doctor if:

• Your child has an area of skin that's red, painful, swollen, and/or filled with pus.
• Your child has inflamed skin and is also feverish or feels sick.
• Skin infections seem to be passing from one family member to another or if two or more family members have skin infections at the same time.