Staph Infection After Surgery

Staph is a bacteria. Its complete name is Staphylococcus. There are more than 35 species in the staph bacterial family. Most of the staph bacteria are pathogenic in nature and can cause urinary tract infection, skin infection, etc. A puncture or wound in the skin increases the chances of staph causing infection. Such an ideal condition is present on your body right after surgery.

How do You Get Staph Infection After Surgery

Staph bacteria normally lives on your skin without causing any harm to you. However, when there is a cut, wound or the skin is punctured, it enters and causes infection. Therefore, staph infection after a surgery is quite common. It commonly causes skin disorders like folliculitis, impetigo, boils, cellulitis, etc. The staph infection is highly contagious in nature. It spreads through skin-to-skin contact. Staph spread from one part of the body to another if you touch the infected body part and touch another healthy part without washing or sterilizing your hands. You may contract staph infection after a surgery if you happen to share things with an already infected person.

Symptoms of Staph Infection After a Surgery

Problems With Digestive System
The common staph infection after surgery symptoms include vomiting, nausea and stomach upset. It may take a form of toxic shock syndrome. The risk of developing staph infection increases if the patient has been getting feed through a contaminated feeding tube.

Damage to Internal Body Parts
The consequences of staph infection may be as serious as damaging of an internal organ. The staph from the skin infection may enter the body and reach vital organs like the heart, liver, kidney, etc, and can cause infection in them. The staph infection of important organs may damage them. Even the bones may get infected with staph. The staph infection that involves the blood and runs throughout the body is called sepsis. It is life-threatening in nature.

Rise in Body Temperature
If the rise in body temperature persists even after the accomplishment of surgical procedure, it is an indication of the presence of staph in the blood. Thus, fever is another example of staph infection symptoms. It is an alarming condition that needs intensive medical care.

Pain in the Site of Surgery
Pain in the skin or tissue around the site of surgery is another sign of staph infection. The intensity of pain may range from mild to severe. It is often accompanied by tenderness and soreness at and around the surgery site. The situations can get worse if the infection is left untreated or is resistant to the action of antibiotics. The condition takes a form of alarming situation when the infection spreads to deeper tissues and muscles. It leads to sharp pain in the affected area.

Formation of Pussy Blisters on Surgical Site
When the site of surgery is infected by staph bacteria, it often develops blisters filled with pus. The pus generally appears white or yellow in color. It gives out a foul smell. The pus often ooze out from the blisters. It contains staph bacteria. Therefore proper instructions should be followed while cleaning the affected site.

Changes in the Skin
Staph infection after surgery causes the skin on the affected site to change in appearance. The skin often develops rash and bump. It swells and gets inflamed. The affected skin is at a higher temperature than rest of the body and look lumpy and wrinkled.

The ideal ways to prevent staph infection after surgery are to keep the surgical site well covered and sterilized. You should follow all the instructions given by your doctor for maintaining personal hygiene. Staying in a sterilized environment will help a lot in preventing staph infection after surgery.