MRSA

[anonymous]

Hi,
Thanks for responding. The paper towel thing is to protect him from reinfecting himself. I do laundry regularly but with other people using the towels, I thought paper towels would be more sanitary.

We are just spooked and pretty upset. We don't want him to have this germ and we would like to get rid of it or at least stop it from being active.

He has been through h-ll the last few months and we just want to see him better!! I'm sure you understand.

The Dr. said if he has it in his sinuses he has it in his lungs too. But I beleive they only cultured the sinuses. Not the lungs. The surgeon also said his lungs were very clean, she expected to see a lot of junk like the sinuses, but did not in the lungs.

Do we have to do any other special precautions to protect my son? We are not immunio suppressed, we are just worried about getting him healthy again.

 

[anonymous]

My daughters pulmonary team told us that people w/ CF do not have a weaker immune system then everyone else. They said that her immune system is just as good as a person w/out CF. He also told us that MRSA is in the community, hard to stay away from but as far as health issues it should not make much of a difference.

 

[kybert]

ok i am going to have to say something about this again. mrsa CAN be eradicated. it does not lay dormant when you <b>dont</b> culture it, its gone. julie and anon, when you say its dormant, i think you are getting confused with patients who <b>do</b>culture it but dont have sypmtoms. this is what the medical field define as dormant mrsa. there is no other meaning for it. what youre saying is making people unnecessarily worried. im also concerned that if people take what you say to heart, that they will avoid mrsa treatment because you have made them believe its not worth it.

to those with youngings with mrsa. it is quite common for healthy children to beat mrsa.

 

[seasprite]

I agree. MRSA is just ordinary <u>Staphylococcus aureus</u> that happens to have developed resistance to several antibiotics, including methicillin. We all know that it is possible to get rid of plain staph, and there is no reason the same shouldn't hold true for MRSA -- unless it has become resistant to all current antibiotics. I can find nothing in the medical literature on CF that would indicate it is impossible to permanently eliminate MRSA. Indeed, there are papers that specifically discuss how to best go about eradicating it. MRSA is not like herpes, which is a virus, small enough to hide out in nerve cells and thus evade attack by either the immune system or by the few antiviral agents available to date. MRSAs are bacteria, and, to our knowledge, they don't form the kinds of slimy biofilms that shield <u>Pseudomonas</u> from antibiotics. Of course, different MRSA strains differ depending on the number of antibiotics to which they have become resistant; those thay have become resistant to almost everything are likely to be much more difficult to eradicate.

Bambi, mom of Jordan, 16 w cf

 

[Emily65Roses]

I don't really have a side on this argument, I just wanted to point something out. Generally (I know there are exceptions), pseudomonas is permanent once a CFer gets it. We're all pretty familiar with this. This is in short because our lungs are so warm, wet, and in such bad condition that they simply can't gather up the strength to kick the pseudo out. I think this is also commonly true of MRSA. Again, not all the time. But since MRSA is such a resistant little sucker, a lot of CFers have trouble getting rid of it given the poor quality of our lungs. I haven't cultured MRSA since 01, but they still have it listed on my little paper of "stuff I grow." And staph, given my CF lungs is also kind of in the same boat. I've cultured staph for years, I just can't seem to get rid of it... Even if it just regular old staph.

So while it's questionable to say you can in no way ever get rid of something like pseudo, staph, or MRSA... It's rather common for us CFers to not be able to.

 

[anonymous]

I have nearly always cultured S/Aureus, have been taking 2x2 Flucloxillcillin daily for the last 7 years, I have not been diagnosed with MRSA, if you could get rid of S/Aureus, [and as some have said it it does not lie dormant] why am I still taking permanent antibiotics?? I am little confused about what I am reading on this topic, can someone clear up my doubt. I have B/cepacia, but this was diagnosed 6mths after I started permanent A/Bs. I would really like to stop taking these, as I strongly suspect they are draining my energy.............
Thanks.

 

[anonymous]

I just wanted to say to Kylie, thank you for that post!!!! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

Kybert, please don't take this the wrong way but, do you have any sort of medical background? I am a nurse and work with patients who have MRSA on a regular basis. There seems to be a big difference of opinion on this site regarding MRSA but I guess this is one of those things time will tell.

If someone cultures MRSA when they are, say 8 and it is treated "hard and heavy" (as one parent posted) and the next few times they tested negative for it, that simply means they are not having an active MRSA case. I guarantee you, a few years later they WILL culture it again. But that does NOT mean that they "caught" MRSA again. What it means is that the MRSA that has been laying dormant has become active again.

And yes, seeking treatment is very necessary-MRSA can be a very serious thing, especially for someone with CF. Because although CFers do not have a weaker immune system, it is made weaker by constant infections and the body gets weak and tired from fighting these all of the time. If you throw MRSA into the mix, it might be more detrimental on a CFer than someone without CF. Those who seek treatment for MRSA (IV Vanco) are helping to alleviate the damaging effects of MRSA. So I am not suggesting anybody avoid treatment because that would be extremely detrimental, everybody should seek proper treatment for MRSA. And the example I always use is Herpies, although you can not be cured (it will never go away) you can alleviate the symptoms (they sometimes disappear for months, sometimes years) and any physical signs of having herpies.

Hope this helps,


Julie-RN (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)

 

[anonymous]

Herpes lies dormant and sometimes, under stress one can have a flare-up at any time. Most CF infections, like herpes are cross-infected, we as CF sufferrers are a certain threat to anyone in the community who have a low immunity, not just to other CF patients. We are a walking danger if we knowingly mingle with others when we know ourselves to be infectious. As with herpes you don't jump into bed without taking precautions.

 

[kybert]

thankyou bambi for your input. to anon, you just have a more resistant strain. it is possible to eradicate regular staph as well. julie, do i have any sort of medical background? of course i do, i have cf and <b>use</b> to have mrsa. being a nurse does not make you any more knowledgable than anyone on here so dont dump everyone in the 'patient knows nothing' bin. people should also know better than to use herpes as a comparison. as bambi stated herpes is a virus. and as emily said, people with weaker immune systems and poorer lungs WILL have a hard time getting rid of mrsa. but as for young children who are healthy, it is very possible. so lumping the 2 together and saying there is no hope is wrong. and no, when you have been cleared of mrsa you wont infect others.

i suggest anyone wanting to know about mrsa should go to credible medical websites to look up information. most websites will describe the meaning of dormant/colonisation and active/infection and how both will make mrsa positive cultures.

 

[anonymous]

First of all I am a nurse - and I work in a medical office with an infectious disease specialist. MRSA CAN be totally eradicated. Once it is eradicated your cultures will be negative - they not only do sputum cultures to rule this out - but, they also do swabs of areas such as the underarm (pit), the groin, and the nares (due to the fact that MRSA which is colonized will still shed out onto the skin - thus the swabs of these areas). If the MRSA is dormant ("colonized") - you WILL CULTURE MRSA. The way to determine if you are "colonized" vs. "active" is merely by signs & symptoms (i.e. fever, increased WBC's, positive sputum gram stains with elevated WBC count). If your cultures are negative - YOU DO NOT HAVE MRSA COLONIZED OR OTHERWISE. My daughter is such a case - she cultured positive at age 7 with eradication by age 8; and has never had another positive culture for MRSA (she is 13). My daughter is no longer isolated at the hospital due to the fact that she has had 3 negative cultures (which is recognized by the CDC as negative). They isolate in the hospitals whether you are "active" or "colonized" - they do not isolate if you do not have it which is my daughter's case.

 

[anonymous]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! YEEEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWWWWW! That just made my day!!!! My 7 mth old has cultured MRSA the past 3 mths and she still has it. She is not on anything for it either, should she be? Should I ask why she is not???

I believe HER, she is an expert!!!<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/beer.gif" border="0">


Thanks for clearing this up!!!!!!!!<img src="i/expressions/sun.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

I don't want to wish anything ill on anyone so I hope that you don't take this the wrong way, but only time will tell with your daughter and in the future when her MRSA returns-whether it be a few years, or a few decades when she is older and the immune system is weakened over time by CF and older age. She will not culture it as a new thing, it will have been in her body the entire time.

Kylie, how immature for you to assume that I dumped everyone into the "patient knows nothing" bin (as you would say)-you must be forgetting I have a husband who has CF. I already clearly stated in my post that I did not wish to insult you, I just wanted to ask. Having CF DOES not mean that you have a medical background in the sense that I was asking but I guess I could have clairified that. As I said before, there seem to be differences of opinion on this board by those with medical backgrounds, parents and patients (some who have, some who haven't had MRSA) alike. I believe that untimately time will only tell with something like this.

Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)

 

[anonymous]

To the smiley face, beer and sunshine anonymous poster. If you think the MRSA is causing your 7 month old daughter to cough extra, have extra congestion, etc, then I would say, yes, she should be taking some type of medicine to treat it. A sputum culture should indicate what medicines the MRSA is sensitive to.
I don't claim to be a nurse or any type of medical professional, this is strictly my opinion. Of course, ask your Dr as well what he/she thinks about the need for meds.
Elle

 

[anonymous]

Eileen, I appreciate the compliment-that was very kind of you. Thank you very much. As far as your concern for building a resistance to staph Aureaus, I have a few questions. When the doctors do your sputum culture, do they also do a pan. sensitivity? I am not sure what the standard of care is regarding a pan. sensitivity but I know we have requested Mark have one EVERY time he has a culture (which is every 2-3 months). It was discovered last fall that he was building a mild resistance to cipro and was IMMEDIATELY switched off it and onto colistin (he cultures pseudomonas and Staph Aureaus). After 2 months on colistin he was off of it and tobi for a month (1 month on , 1 month off). He has sense been tested again and is once again sensitive to cipro. So, I would say it is important to have your doc's do a sensitivity-if for nothing else to alleviate your fears. From what I have seen in the CF patients that I have taken care of, as long as the doctors are proactive in doing sensitivities and altering medications when something is no longer sensitive (but not yet resistant) there hasn't been a problem (other than with MRSA). I of course would recommend you check with your doctor because it is a concern of yours.

Julie

 

[anonymous]

Hello

I am not a nurse or doctor but a parent who ask alot of questions at clinic and never hesitates to call with a question. I was informed by my daughters CF doc that once you have cultured MRSA you always have it whether you continue to culture it every time or not. The only thing that i have noticed is that since Kait has cultured MRSA is that she seems to take longer to get over pneumonia than normal, used to take her 2 weeks on IV antibiotics and this past Jan. it took about 5 weeks before her PFTs were back to baseline.

Julie..... I read alot of what you respond to and post and just to let you know i do ask our CF doc's some of the same questions... and you seem to be right on the ball. I enjoy and have actually learned alot from you. Your husband is definitly in good hands... keep on informing us ..... I listen<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

Kaitsmom<img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

Please see the following websites:

1. <a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.cysticfibrosismedicine.com
">http://www.cysticfibrosismedicine.com
</a> "About half of positive patients will lose their MRSA for good, a quarter will be colonized
continuously and another quarter will be colonized intermittently"

2.<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/normap/othercfbugs.com
">http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/normap/othercfbugs.com
</a> Many, many articles about MRSA & eradication with new medications with regards specifically
towards cystic fibrosis. In several of the articles it clearly states that 55% of CF patients will
have total eradication of MRSA.

 

[kybert]

heya nurse with cf daughter. i have been mrsa free for over 10 years now <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

julie you have thrown everyone into the patient knows nothing bin. saying 'im a nurse so i know these things' is doing exactly that. you have said it in pretty much every post on this. having cf doesnt mean you have a medical background in the sense of what julie? because we dont have our nursing degrees on paper? cummon, our input is just as valid and credible as yours.

once again, i STRONGLY urge people read the literatute, read the websites and ask a doc who doesnt use scare tactics. some kind person has already posted a couple of websites.

and for the person with the 7 month old please ask your doctor. im not sure what your hospitals protocol is with kids so young. any anti biotics can be harmful at such a young age so i wouldnt expect any immediate treatment if she is only colonised.

 

[anonymous]

As I have said before and above, it appears that only time will tell with this because there is such a difference of opinion. Good for you that you have been MRSA free for 10 years, although some aren't that lucky so it's beneficial that they get both sides of the story-from people like you (and others who argee with you) and people like me (and those who agree with me). I see the CDC's website, but heres the thing with them. They simply report statistics from information that they gather from doctors, hospitals, clinics... Different hospitals have different ways of reporting and tracking this information and making it avilable to the public. I believe those that actually treat the patients and parents/people (CF or NOT) on this site who interact with the situation on a daily basis have the most accurate information. Again this is just my opinion but I believe that time and more research will tell. And I don't feel I am better than anyone because I have a medical background, I am knowledgeable about some things and know nothing about other things and am not afraid to ask. You have stated your opinion about me and that's fine but lets leave personal attacks and belitteling out of this. I treat you like an adult so why don't you show me the same respect.

Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)

 

[anonymous]

And thank you kaitsmom, I appreciate your compliment.

Julie