History

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes MRSA as staphylococci that are resistant to antibiotics, methicillin, penicillin and cephalosporins. Vancomycin has been the most effective and reliable used intravenously for treatment of MRSA. The greatest concern to medical providers and the general public is the fact that bacterial staphylococcus infections in hospital patients rose from 2 percent of infections acquired in the hospital in 1974 to 40 percent in 1997. Two million infections, 90,000 deaths and $4.5 billion in excess health care costs annually are reported by the CDC in its Infection Control Practices.
  
  

S. Epidermidis and S. Aureus

• Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis cause superficial boils, lesions and abscesses or deep infections, osteomyelitis and endocarditis. S. epidermidis with commensal S. aureus can infect surgical wounds and catheters, and synthetic knees, hips, pins and plates at fracture sites. S. aureus and S. epidermidis can also induce toxic-shock syndrome by releasing antibiodies into the blood. Surface proteins on the skin and/or implants attract and host bacteria colonies.
  
  

Natural Habitat

• In addition to surface proteins on the skin and implants that attract the host bacteria, regulatory proteins are essential enzymes necessary for polysaccharide intercellular adhesin. A catheter creates a warm protein-rich environment for a staphylococcus infection.
  
  

Prevention

• The natural habitat for staphylococcus infection requires capsular polysaccharides for pathogenesis and infection. The New England Journal of Medicine (2002) reported on a staphylococcus vaccination that reduced 60 percent of staphylococcus infections in patients with compromised immune systems in advanced kidney disease. Capsular polysaccharides were used as a vehicle for staphylococcus vaccines. In hemodialysis patients, a staphylococcus vaccine gains the patient partial immunity against staphylococcus bacteria for approximately 40 weeks, after which the antibody levels decrease.
  
  

Diagnosis and Treatment

• Infected patients and staff members are isolated and bathed in disinfectants. The hospital attempts to control the spead of the infection. The infection can also be treated with topical antibiotics.
  
  Staphylococcus infections are diagnosed by identification of bacterial colonies on commercially prepared biotyping kits that simulate the natural habitat of the bacteria.
  
  Infection that does not respond to methicillin is resistant to multiple antibiotics. Resistant strains are treated with intravenous vancomycin.