CONTACT: Catherine M. Brzozowski
                 Marketing and Public Relations
                 215-248-8727
                 cathy_brzozowski@chs.net

For Immediate Release

By: Daniel Kortsch, M.D., Chestnut Hill Hospital

Recent headlines have caused concern for both parents and teachers as outbreaks of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have sprung up across the country. This infection, previously occurring primarily among hospital patients, is now affecting high schools, colleges and athletic centers. As of early October, school districts in at least six states have reported cases of this infection among otherwise healthy students with infections ranging from simple skin infections to life-threatening sepsis. Many more schools temporarily closed their doors as a precautionary measure to give them time to fully clean their facilities.

MRSA is an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection that does not respond to common antibiotics like penicillin. According to numbers recently released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), MRSA may be responsible for more deaths each year than HIV/AIDS. The CDC study, just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, estimates more than 94,000 people developed serious MRSA cases in 2005 and nearly 19,000 resulted in death. Although it is very common to have the bacteria on your skin without it causing any problems, hospitalized people and the elderly are the most likely to become seriously infected, or even die from the infection. In recent years, the so-called "super bug" staph infections have occurred sporadically on school athletic teams, prisons, dormitories, and health clubs where they are most likely to cause skin abscesses.

MRSA can live for months on surfaces such as handrails, tabletops and skin. It can spread by direct contact or by sharing items such as pencils and sports equipment with an infected person. For these reasons, one good way to prevent infection is by practicing good personal hygiene. Washing hands with soap and water throughout the day, or using an alcohol-based hand rub, is a top priority, especially after times of physical contact and before meals. It is also advisable to keep skin abrasions and wounds covered and avoid contact with open wounds on others. Maintaining a clean environment can also help prevent infections; this includes cleaning surfaces with anti-bacterial products. Sharing personal items such as clothes, towels or razors is not recommended as infectious bacteria can spread on these surfaces.

MRSA is generally treatable if caught early, so it is important to know how to recognize an infection and respond. An infection on the skin's surface often looks like a pimple or boil that can be red, painful and full of pus that must be drained. These can progress into deep, painful abscesses. Although internal MRSA infections can result in pneumonia and bloodstream infections, most often these infections are only found in the seriously ill or the elderly. Seek medical attention if you have these symptoms.

As medical practitioners may not recognize that an infection was caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, it is important to seek medical attention if prescribed antibiotics seem to have no effect.

Sources:
Centers for Disease Control
www.cdc.gov
Mayo Clinic
www.mayoclinic.com
WebMD
www.WebMD.com
Fox News
www.foxnews.com

# # #

Chestnut Hill Health System provides quality health care, covering the spectrum of services from prenatal through geriatric, for families in northwest Philadelphia and eastern Montgomery County.

Editor's Note: Daniel Kortsch, MD, is board certified in family medicine. He is in practice at Family Care Associates in Ft. Washington, 215-753-2000, and is accepting new patients.