Staph Infections - Staph Infection Treatment and Symptoms

Staph bacteria are spherical in shape; reside on the human skin, especially in the nose, mouth, genitals and anal areas. They enter into the body through cuts. It should not be confused with another similar bacterium called streptococcus which grows in chains or pairs unlike staphylococcus which generate in to grape-like clusters.

Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus are shortly called S.aureus. They appear in blue or violet colour and are grape-like structures when viewed through a microscope. The bacterium is of two types called S.aureus aureus and S.aureus anaerobius. But the first category only causes infections. S.aureus, occurring commensally on the human bodies may not and need not be infectious. But how it is spread and its ability to host phages increase its poisonous character.

Staph infection
The staph infection includes skin infections, pneumonia, meningitis, endocarditis, Toxic shock syndrome and septicemia. Out of this staph skin infections are very common. Staph infections are contagious in that they spread very easily. The contact of the pus from the wound, skin to skin contact and using the affected person’s things like towel, sheet can easily spread the infection from one person to another.

Staph skin infection
Anybody who has an untreated cut or scratch is prone to get staph skin infection. The staph skin infection includes pimples, impetigo, boils, cellulitis, abscesses etc. Out of this, cellulitis is very critical and requires immediate treatment. It starts with a small swelling, inflammation and pain on the area of the affected skin. As it spreads, the patient develops fever. Its severity lies in its affecting the deeper layer of the skin up to blood stream. Although the disease can affect any part of the body, the area of face and lower legs are more prone for this infection.

Staph symptoms
Staph symptoms depend upon the area affected by the infection. In staph skin infections, the affected skin bears the symptoms. Swollen, inflammation and red condition of the skin is the sign for cellulitis. The other skin diseases caused by the S.aureus conspicuously displays the affected portion of the body area.

In Toxic Shock Syndrome, which is a non-skin disease the affected person develops sudden high fever, faint feeling, water diarrhea, head ache and muscle ache. The man affected by pneumonia, a bacterial infection caused by S.aureus, finds difficulty in breathing and has cough and fever. The symptoms of Meningitis, another brain related disease caused by staph, are sudden fever, sever headache and stiff neck. Different infections caused by this bacterium are diagnosed by different staph infection symptoms associated with each disease.

Staph treatment
The type of infection caused by the staph decides the method of treatment. The staph treatment differs according to the nature of infection. However, use of antibiotics is the common treatment for all staph infections. Of late, the resistance of S.aureus to antibiotics has increased.

The first case of antibiotic resistance of staph was reported in 1943. After that, the percentage of resistance started increasing from 40% in 1950 to 80% in 1960. Today the sensitive level of S.aureus to penicillium antibiotic is only 2% in U.K. Another antibiotic introduced in 1959 was methicillin. However, Methicillin-resistant S.aureus (MRSA) was reported in 1990.

The use of glycopeptide antibiotic came into existence after that. They have vancomycin and teicoplanin antibiotics in them. But due to non-availability of oral preparation, they need to be administered intravenously. Further, the toxicity and drug levels of these antibiotics have to be monitored through blood tests and the effects of glycopeptide on brain infections are not up to the expected level.

Medical communities have already been given with guidelines for the use of glycopeptides due to the potential of MRSA developing resistance against them. But already three cases of Vancomycin Resistant S.Aureus (VRSA) have been reported in U.S., which is a cause for concern. Nevertheless, until date the use of antibiotic against the staph infections has not been substituted by any another medicine.

More than the treatments the people have to be educated about keeping their body and surroundings clean to avoid S. aureus. Cuts or open wounds on the body are to be treated immediately with antiseptic to prevent the entry of staph into the body.

The adage prevention is better than cure has more relevance here.