UTI is MRSA

I thought to that once you got MRSA that the best course of treatment was IV antibiotics? It is worth at least asking a few questions anyway. Also it may be available in an injection to start off, followed by oral antibiotics. My feeling is that if it can spread even through a hospital or school, then how can you not disinfect yourself and your home. A can of Lysol and some antibacterial soap are very cheap precautions. Here are links for you to read.

www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools/

www.lysol.com/mrsa/

"An ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Cure"

My little ones just came down with fever/runny noses etc...and my husband is on Chemo so to prevent him from getting sick I went as far as to spray their bed linens and pillows then stripping the bed, & washing everything every morning. I also spray the faucets, door knobs, light switches, and the toilet just to prevent the spread. It may be over kill, but it is the best I can do to keep everyone, and my home germ free. Did you ever read the back of a can of Lysol? Worth a few dollars.
I found that the "Crisp Linen" has the most pleasant smell.

My husband has had his share with MRSA. When he had his original surgery with bladder cancer he got a new bladder (neobladder) and with that a staff infection (MRSA). It was very hard to get rid off. He got a hernia from the surgery so the following year he did surgery to repair it and did not heal do to MRSA. So in 05 he came down with heart failure and had to go in the hospital 30 days with IV antibiotics before he got heart surgery. This year just a few weeks ago he was in the hospital because of temperatures and his urine sample came back positive, MRSA. He was treated with IV antibiotics at first and then sent home with oral antibiotics. I have not been treated with anything and don't have any signs of the bacteria in me. I guess it depends on the individual. But just talk it over with your doctor. And if he is still having temperatures I would call the Dr. or take him to the emergency room, MRSA can be bad if not treated properly specially if on chemo. Also after the first infection we learned to hire an infectious disease doctor was the best for us. They seem to be more on top of these things. Good luck!

Well Warren, you are totally right, and I agree, in the fact that we over use antibiotics in this country but after the fifth student came down with it they decided that it was not going to get any better,and since left untreated it can get so serious. All five along with the teacher were hospitalized to receive a special course of IV antibiotics, They did put the whole class on the oral antibiotic, (It was parents choice of course but all agreed) I must be mistaken about the name but I was sure it started with a "P". and it was one of only a few drugsthat this virus was not immune to. It was spread through contact, and I think it is just wise to take extra precautions, can't have the caregiver get sick!

Dick has been told to stick with Tylenol because of his renal insufficiency. It has worked previously to bring down his temperature. Tonight about an hour after the Bactrim his fever finally went down. I expect Bactrim takes longer to take effect than the Cipro.

Dick had at least 3 risk factors for MRSA, nephrostomy tubes which penetrated the skin, repeated use of Cipro over the past 3 months and a recent hospitalization. I had been saying since the previous UTI that the Cipro just wasn't getting it all.

The urologist did say they tested and the MRSA was sensitive to Bactrim. I notice it is a 14 day course of treatment.
I was wondering if I should be tested for it as I have been changing his dressings and there is drainage still. Of course I have been very good about washing my hands anytime I do personal care for Dick. I don't seem to have any signs of an infection. I did read that some people can carry the staph without showing any signs.

We don't use the antibacterial detergents and do use Purell as well as soap for hygiene at home.

How did your school get pristinamycin or brand name pyostacine? It has not been approved by the FDA to my knowledge in the U.S.

There seems to be a huge degree of misunderstanding about MRSA. It is generally neither more virulent or contagious than other strains fo staph aureus. It is simply more difficutl to treat.
Pristinamycin does not appear to be availble in the USA. When treating a UTI the choice of antibiotics should always be guided by sensitivity testing. Most strains of community acquired MRSA are sensitive to Bactrim, and since Bactrim is concentrated in the urinary tract, that would make it an excellent choice for treating a UTI - but again, sensitivity testing must be done no matter what organism is isolated as the cause of a UTI.
Staph aureus, whether an MRSA strain or not, is not airborne, nor is it generally spread by droplet. It is spread by contact, which means careful handwashing and disinfecting surfaces is the best means to prevent spread. I don't know the specifics of the case in the class you spoke of, so my comments must be interpreted with that in mind, but overuse of antibiotics is how we got into this mess of resistant organisms. If the infection you are speaking of was an MRSA treating an entire class of children with antibiotics if they were not infected would be the height of irresponsibility. If the organism was a meningococcus, an organism which is spread by droplet through close contact and causes a deadly meningitis, then such treatment might be appropriate.