**Note: The topics discussed here in “Caring for Your Child” are for your general information and are not a substitute for medical advice. You should contact your physician or other healthcare provider with any questions about your health, treatment, or care, or to discuss the information you have read here.

• What are resistant bacteria?
  • In an era, where antibiotics have been overused we are now seeing the consequence - “resistant bacteria”
  • Over the past 60+ yrs, exposure to antibiotic has placed pressure on bacteria germs to survive
  • This pressure has caused their genes to change
  • This change in genes not only makes them more difficult to kill with traditional antibiotics but it also makes them produce more dangerous and severe infections, thus they have the potential to be more deadly
  • These bacteria are “outsmarting” doctors, hospitals, and the drug manufacturers faster than they can develop new medicines
  • Some examples of the most common resistant bacteria include:
    
    Vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE) -common urinary tract infection bacteria, more in adults; Resistant Pneumococcus - common cause of ear infection and pneumonia; Drug resistant Tuberculosis - cause of lung infections; Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) - common cause of skin infection, bone infection, severe pneumonia; One of the newest “superbugs": Vancomycin-Intermediate/Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
• Resistant “Staph” bacteria
  • Resistant Staphylococcus (or Staph) used to only be in hospital patients
  • However, since the 1990’s there are new strains that have found their way into every corner of the community – in schools, daycares, churches, the workplace
  • Commonly it causes skin infections from minor pimples or boils to more severe, deep skin infections
  • Can also cause other serious infections like pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or surgical wound infections.
  • This has changed the type of antibiotic your doctor has to use to treat these infections - now he or she must use an antibiotic that can more readily kill these “resistant” types of Staph bacteria
• Where does Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) come from?
  • According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 25%-30% of normal healthy people have Staph bacteria living on their nose and about 1% have MRSA (or resistant Staph bacteria) on and around their nose
  • Usually these bacteria do not cause any disease
  • Constant Staph living around the nose but not causing infection is called “colonization”
  • However, if a person gets a cut or wound and that Staph bacteria finds its way to the wound, then the Staph can cause infection
• How can you know if your child is at risk for resistant Staph bacteria and needs to be evaluated?
  • The presence of boils or pus-filled pimples,
  • Hot, red, hard, painful swollen areas of skin,
  • Child has a “spider bite” – but no spider was seen
  • Other family members with a history of boils or Staph
  • Infection that has failed to get better on the first course of antibiotics
  • A child that has been on antibiotics recently
• Are resistant staph bacteria / MRSA infections treatable?
  • Yes! Most are treatable. They do need specific antibiotics and many times they require immediate drainage by a physician.
  • NEVER ATTEMPT DRAINAGE AT HOME
• If your doctor has determined that your child has a resistant type of skin bacteria like MRSA, can it come back?
  • Yes, these infections can occur again.
  • There are on going research projects about how to rid your family of this bacteria once it settles in a household;
  • However, research has not shown a good method to consistently get rid of the Staph that live on your child’s nose and the noses of the family members;
  • Your child may acquire another infection in the future
  • Therefore, you must be on the lookout for reoccurrence.
• How can you lower your families risk of being infected by resistant skin bacteria?
  • Don’t ask your doctor for or expect antibiotics
    * Especially for colds, viruses, viral throat infections, viral bronchitis;
    * Antibiotics don’t work on these viral infections – so don’t demand them
    * Don’t feel like you wasted a trip to the doctor to have your child seen to make sure they don’t need antibiotics;
  • When you are prescribed antibiotic for a bacterial infection (like strep throat), finish all of the medicine unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
  • Throw out any extra antibiotics out of your refrigerator or cabinets
  • Never use anyone else’s prescription medicines or those that have been purchased in Mexico or other countries - The border is developing very strong bacteria because of this practice
  • Get your child vaccinated for chickenpox and influenza (the flu) - If your child is protected, the secondary infections that can arise with these viral infections will not have to be treated
  • Thoroughly clean wounds immediately after they happen with soap and water
  • Good hand washing
  • Avoid contact with other people’s wounds
  • Don’t share towels or razors

For more information you can browse the following websites:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca_public.html

http://www.yourchildshealth.com/halert/infections403.htm