Staph infections are brought on by staphylococcus bacteria, types of bacteria frequently discovered on the skin or in the nose of even healthy people. The majority of the time, these bacteria cause no problems or result in relatively small skin infections. But staph infections can turn fatal if the bacteria attack deeper into your body, entering your bloodstream, joints, bones, lungs or heart. A growing variety of otherwise healthy people are developing life-threatening staph infections. Treatment generally involves antibiotics and drain of the infected area. However, some staph infections not respond to typical antibiotics.
Penicillin
At one time, penicillin might treat the typical staph infection, however with the abuse of antibiotics (not completing a prescription or taking them when not needed), the staph bacteria are frequently resistant to penicillin, rendering it inefficient. While it is still efficient for some staph infections, the Mayo Clinic reports that less than 10 percent of staph infections will respond to penicillin.
Methicillin
The next step up from penicillin is frequently methicillin. However, the staph bacteria are becoming immune to methicillin also, and it is now being called “MRSA,” or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. In the Mayo Clinic report, methicillin works in dealing with less than 50 percent of staph infections. MRSAs are serious, as there are fewer treatment options for staph that is resistant to methicillin.
Vancomycin
Vancomycin is a far more powerful, and harmful, antibiotic than penicillin or methicillin, and is typically used in dealing with staph infections that are resistant to the other antibiotics, iytmed.com mentions. While it is still effective for the most parts, there are some staph bacteria that have actually become resistant to vancomycin also. To determine which antibiotic will be effective against the staph infection, the University of Michigan Health System describes that the bacteria will be checked in a laboratory against the different antibiotics offered.
Mupirocin
Mupirocin is an antibiotic ointment that is prescribed for staph bacteria that live in the nasal cavity. A report in the October 8, 2008 concern of “Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews” specifies that mupirocin significantly reduces nasal staph bacteria.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is extracted from the leaves of the tea tree (melaleuca alternifolia), which is native to Australia and has antibiotic properties. Tea tree oil is a natural compound that has been deemed efficient against MRSA. A research study released in the March 1995 concern of the “Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy” revealed that of the pressures of staph bacteria tested were not resistant to tea tree oil. These included strains that were resistant to methicillin and mupirocin. While some medical facilities work with tea tree oil, it is available over the counter in most natural food stores.
Antibiotic Resistance of a Staph Infection
Staph bacteria are extremely adaptable, and lots of varieties have become resistant to one or more antibiotics. For instance, only about 10 percent these days’s staph infections can be cured with penicillin. The development of antibiotic-resistant pressures of staph bacteria – often referred to as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains – has actually led to making use of IV antibiotics, such as vancomycin, with the potential for more side effects, such as vancomycin.
