Staphylococcus aureus is a disease causing bacterium, found on the surface of skin, nose or eyes of people infected by it. Staphylococcus diseases range from minor staph skin infections like, pimples, boils or cellulitis to fatal illnesses like pneumonia, meningitis, endocarditis and septicemia.

Diseases caused by Staphylococcus aureus

The Staphylococcus diseases are usually in the form of skin or nasal staph infections but the staphylococcus bacteria can infect other tissues as well when skin or mucosal lining breaks down. This leads to furuncles and carbuncles filled with pus and pose a danger of spreading throughout the body or entering the blood stream. Diseases caused by Staphylococcus can spread through direct contact with pus oozing out from an infected, uncovered wound. It can spread from an infected person to a healthy person through skin to skin contact. Staphylococcus diseases also spread on coming in contact with objects like towels, linen, clothing or athletic equipments of an infected person. Staphylococcus diseases which penetrate deep in the body can infect artificial or prosthetic organs. Staph infection poses a danger to prosthetic joints and can cause endocarditis which is the infection of heart valves.

Symptoms

• Staph infections generally cause severe pain and swelling around the area of an uncovered cut or wound in the skin.
• Furuncles (boils) and carbuncles are commonly observed in the infected area.
• Staph Infection in Children and inn infants leads to peeling of skin and blisters in various parts of the body.
• Swelling may be observed in lymph nodes of the neck, armpits or groin.

MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus): The bacteria which causes staph infection, S.aureus has now been found to become resistant to many antibiotics which consisted of penicillin, flucloxacillin, oxacillin and similar lactamase resistant antibiotics. Vancomycin resistant staph was also discovered later on but cases of VRSA (Vancomycin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)

infection are very rare. The regular ’staph’ infections are mostly easy to treat with cephalosporin antibiotics that are associated with penicillin, like Keflex, Duricef, and Ancef, but unfortunately the MRSA bacteria has become resistant to these antibiotics, and hence cannot be used to treat infection caused by them. Other oral antibiotics which are used for treatment of MRSA infections are Bactrim (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) Clindamycin and Vancomycin.

Prevention of diseases caused by Staphylococcus:

Taking proper precautions is necessary to avoid Staphylococcus diseases. Close contact with infected people must be avoided cautiously. Indirect contact through infected objects contaminated by the staph bacteria from the skin of a person suffering from staph disease may also lead to spread of Staphylococcus diseases. Some preventive measures which you need to take to keep yourself safe from staph infection are:

• Thoroughly clean your hands with soap and water and never let them remain dirty for long. If you are an athlete or are involved in sports activities then make sure that you take shower and wash yourself with dermatologists’ recommended soaps after all practices.
• Any cut, abrasion or wound should not be left uncovered. It should be cleaned, bandaged and covered with a proper dressing until it is healed completely.

Avoid any contact with wound of other people or any object infected from wounds. Never use someone’s towel, clothing or sport equipment if you are unsure of the person’s state of health. Staphylococcus diseases can be prevented by taking care of these small points in our day to day lives.

Staphylococcus is a group of bacteria which cause various kinds of infections and diseases. In case of nasal staph infection, these bacteria form a colony in the nose.

Symptoms:

Most of the people fail to recognize that there is staph in there nasal passage. There are no particular symptoms associated with nasal staph infection. For a long time, you won’t know that your nose is infected by staph since no abscesses, or nasal problems will be observed. Nasal staph infection can be identified only with the help of a physician. A physician will perform a nasal swab and test the culture of staph. A study shows that 30% of the population has nasal staph infection without having the knowledge of it. If you consistently suffer from nasal problems, and have observed abscesses or swelling in the internal nose, you should immediately undergo a staph test.

Warning signs:

Most of the people suffering from constant stuffy nose have staph bacteria residing in their nasal passage. Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria usually responsible for nasal staph infection causes no noticeable symptoms and hence may go unnoticed a lot of times. Though no problems may be visible at first, to the people having infection but nasal staph infection cannot be neglected. People having nasal staph infection face the following risks:

• The healing time of a wound, cut, or surgery increases to a large extent.
• Women may get sore nipples during breast feeding, if they suffer from infection.
• The immune system of the person becomes unable to control the spread of skin diseases in the body like eczema, psoriasis etc.

The staph skin infections are mostly treated with the use of antibiotic pills and injections. These fight with the germs readily and help in eliminating them from the skin but these rarely help in case of nasal staph infection. Hence many times even after treatment, staph aureus returns back and infects your skin or body. The most commonly known adverse effect of Staph aureus in nose is that it delays the healing process.

Treatment:

The first step would be to get an appointment with your physician and tell him the whole history of your problem. Explain to him all your worries and go for a nasal swab if suggested by him. A culture usually takes approximately 2 to 3 days to grow. If detected positive for staph, ask for necessary advices and follow a routine care plan for the treatment of the nasal staph infection. Make sure that your physician lets you know the type of staph and prescribes you the medicines accordingly. For example, MRSA staph infection and VRSA staph infection would require antibiotics different from usual staph. The medicine should be prescribed depending on the resistance of the staph and the antibiotics to which they are non resistant can be put to use.

Nasal staph infection can be treated by applying ointments in your nose prescribed by your doctor. Some popularly known ointments are- bacitacin, mupiricin and other different combinations. Applying them in the bedtime for few weeks can help in curing the nasal staph infection. A resistant staph aureus will need different medicines which can only be prescribed by a physician after the cultures have been analyzed.

All of us are surrounded by staphylococcus aureus bacteria. They even exist on surfaces of the skin of healthy people. If staph enters the body through skin or some other route then they case various diseases and infection.

Diseases caused by staph infection in children: A wide variety of staph infections are found in children. These illnesses caused by staphylococcus can range from mild infections of skin to toxic shock syndromes.  Commonly found skin infections in children include conjunctivitis in eyes, nasal staph infection during cold, impetigo, acnes, boils or infected wounds. Newborns can also suffer from staph infections in the form of blocked tear ducts. Scalded skin syndrome is a severe form of staph infection in children.  Staph infection in children can affect their ears, nose and throat. Various diseases caused by staph infection in children are: pneumonia, infective arthritis, bone infections and severe meningitis. Food poisoning is one of the most common diseases caused by staph bacteria in children. Staph infection in children is a common phenomenon and most of the children suffer from it in some form or the other. Underlying chronic diseases in children is caused by staph bacteria in the body. These diseases may include diabetes or infections at areas where instrumental, artificial body organs are used like shunts, catheters, or artificial joints.

Food poisoning due to staph: Food poisoning caused due to staph infection in children can be prevented by avoiding contaminated food. Staph usually enters the food if it is handled with infected hands. If the one who prepares food is suffering from staph infections like pimples, rashes, boils, or nasal secretions then the food might also get infected by staph. If immediately after the introduction of staph in the food, the food is not cooked or refrigerated, then staph bacteria are multiplied and a toxin is produced by them which cannot be destroyed even on cooking.

If your child reported a miserable feeling after a meal, staph infection is a probable cause. The symptoms can be seen quickly after one eats the infected food. Severe nausea, vomiting, cramps or even diarrhea.  The vomiting is not accompanied by fever and hence it becomes very difficult to identify the cause of illness.

Foods like sandwiches, egg salads, cream-filled pastries, sliced ham, poultry products, salad dressings and food which do not require cooking are infected by staph. Since children usually eat these foods often in canteens or cafes, they become susceptible to staph infection.  :

Symptoms and precautions: Staph infection in children is found in various forms and the symptoms differ according to the disease caused by staph. Some of the general symptoms of staph skin infections are pus, boils, pimples, swelling of lymph nodes etc.

Staph infection in children can be prevented by teaching them proper technique of basic hand washing. People with runny nose, or untreated wounds should not be involved in cooking. Precautions must be taken to avoid direct contact with people suffering from staph infection.

Staph infection in children is very common, and can be cured with proper treatment.

Antibiotic creams, eye drops, or oral medicines should be chosen according to the resistance of the identified staph. Staph infection in children is usually mild and can be treated easily under the supervision of a trained doctor.

There are a lot of conditions that can come under the staph skin infection types. Some of them include:

• a red bump or pus-filled blister (folliculitis)
• infected cystic acne or hidradenitis suppurativa or pilonidal cyst
• a boil (furuncle)
• skin scalding (staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome)
• a vesicle, which may burst, crust over (impetigo)
• an infected wound or burn
• erythema (cellulitis)

Also, pus drainage from the lesions is common. Many staph skin infection pictures show what they look like.

The main reason these staph infections are caused is due to the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium. They can also be caused by S. epidermidis and S. saprophyticus in rare cases. Staphylococcus aureus, in staph carriers, is mainly found in the nose or on the skin. The staph skin infection types remain mainly contained at the portal of the entry.

The people most likely to be affected by staph skin infection types are:

• obese people
• newborn baby
• breastfeeding mothers
• people who live in hot climates and crowded areas
• people having surgical wounds and skin injuries
• people with fresh tattoos and piercing
• people having skin, lung and blood diseases
• patients receiving chemotherapy
• people taking oral steroids
• staph carriers

These staph skin infections are pretty contagious in nature. They can get spread by the following conditions:

skin contact with infected person

• sharing razors, towels, and similar equipments
• walking barefoot
• frequent nose-picking and scratching
• Frequent skin contact with publicly used items.

Staph skin infection types

• Folliculitis: They are red bumps or pus-filled blisters that can develop on the hair follicles on the face, neck, scalp and limbs. Pus drainage is common.
• Boils – Skin Abscess: They too are areas where pus gets collected.
• Cystic Acne
• Hidradenitis suppurativa: They are caused in areas where there is a high possibility of sweat accumulation such as armpits.
• Pilonidal cyst: They are caused due to infected hair follicles in the area between the buttocks.
• Cellulitis (Deep Skin Infection): It is a staph skin infection type caused under the skin tissues.
• Impetigo: It is found mainly in pre-school children. It is a crust-forming staph skin infection type.
• Paronychia: It is an infection in the skin folds of the nails.
• Wound staph infection
• Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome (SSSS): They are caused by the toxins released by the S. Aureus bacteria. It is common in children under 5 years of age.

There are various staph skin infection pictures shown.

Treatment of staph skin infection types is possible if proper hygiene is maintained. Also, the doctor needs to be consulted if any of these infections are encountered.

Preventing staph skin infection types

Here are a few steps that you can take:

• Wash your hands regularly
• Avoid nose-picking, scratching and nail biting
• Use electric razors instead of blades
• Wear fresh comfortable airy clothes
• Do not share things such as towels and razors.
• Have regular check-ups in case you have diabetes or dermatitis.

Above all, proper care must be taken.

Staph Skin Infections Pictures:

What is Cellulitis?

Cellulitis is a superficial inflammation involving the skin and subcutaneous tissues.  They are often characterized by a warm, erythematous, indurated lesion which is more often accompanied by pain.  For the distribution of this skin disease, the extremities are the ones commonly involved.

What are the types of Cellulitis?

The types of cellulitis may be classified according to its location.  The frequently involved areas are the extremities for which include the hands, forearms, legs, and feet.  As the name implies, this type of cellulitis are called cellulitis of the extremities.  The other less common types are frequently referred to as facial, nasal, orbital, periorbital, perianal, genital and breast cellulitis.  Under the special types of cellulitis, the skin infected along the central face especially the orbits are considered life threatening due to the communicating vessels along this area into the brain via the cavernous sinus.  On such cases, intense treatments available must be provided.

What are the causes and risk factors of cellulitis?

The most common etiologic agents of cellulitis are the innate flora colonizing the skin for which includes Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.  In most sporadic causes, other bacteria are identified such as group B streptococci in the newborn, pneumococci, and gram negative bacilli.  As for the immunocompromised individual, some pathogens involved are yeasts and molds.  In correlation with conditions of increasing age, prolonged hospitalization, immunocompromised states, diabetes and steroid use; Eschericia coli, Enterobacteriaceae and anaerobes are commonly involved.   Following is the list of the causes of cellulitis with its associated condition.

a)                Bacterial infection – streptococcus pyogenes, staphylococcus aureus

b)                Recurrent bacterial cellulitis of the extremities – Group A, C, or G streptococcus bacteria in association with venous stasis seen on coronary artery bypass surgery patients, chronic lymphedema, and lymph node dissection.

c)                Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B streptococci) – elderly individuals with diabetes and peripheral vascular disease

d)                Haemophilus influenza – periorbital cellulitis in children

e)                Pasteurella multocida – after dog or cat bite

f)                  Anaerobes – dog and human bites

g)                Aeromonas hydrophilia – lacerations sustained in fresh water (lakes, rivers and streams)

h)                Vibrio vulnificus – after salt water trauma

i)                  Pseudomonas aeruginosa – hospitalized and immunocompromised individual

What are the symptoms of cellulitis?

The occurrence of infection causes inflammation, erythema, and localized pain, occasionally accompanied by systemic symptoms to include fever, chills, and malaise.  Other associated symptoms may include lymphadenopathy, nausea, vomiting, and confusion, especially in the elderly.

How is the diagnosis of cellulitis made?

The diagnosis of cellulitis is usually made through a physician’s clinical judgment.  Careful inspection, thorough physical examination and medical history contribute on the formulation of diagnosis.  In medical history, epidemiologic data should be obtained so as to provide better etiologic assessment since many diversified exogenous bacteria can cause cellulitis as well.

In most cases, visual inspection of the affected skin demonstrates a red, warm, inflamed, and painful lesion.  A physician will search for cracks in the skin for which serves as a portal of entry for numerous pathogens.

Other medical conditions may pose similar symptoms with cellulitis so they are fully recognized before making a diagnosis.  Such medical conditions consist of the following:

a)                Peripheral vascular disease – Deep vein thrombosis

b)                Gout

c)                Contact dermatitis

d)                Insect stings

e)                Lymphomas

f)                  Leukemia

g)                Sarcoidosis

h)                Radiation therapy

In most cases of recurrent and chronic conditions, swab or blood cultures are utilized to identify the causative microbe causing the symptoms of cellulitis.  When severe infection or clot is suspected, the Doppler ultrasound is used.  As for the case of orbital cellulitis, Computed Tomography scan or Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the sinuses and orbit tissues are performed to help determine the location of cellulitis as well as to assess deeper structure involvement such as  tumor swelling.

What is the treatment for cellulitis?

For the treatment of infection, antibiotics are essentially used to specifically combat the microorganisms causing symptoms.  The duration of treatment for oral antibiotics is 10-14 days while intravenous treatments are used only for shorter period of 3-5 days.  Parenteral route of antibiotics is usually done for severe or systemic spread of infection.  Antibiotics used for treatment of cellulitis are Cephalexin, Ceftriaxone, Dicloxacillin, and Clindamycin.  For patients with debilitating medical problems such as diabetes, a broader coverage of antibiotics is used to fight gram negative rods as well.

In order to alleviate pain and provide comfort, pain reliever drugs, and warm soaks on affected area can also implemented. Wound care is performed in order to prevent recurrent infection of cellulitis.  Open breaks or cuts on skin must be covered and kept dry.  Proper skin and nail hygiene is often the most effective way for prevention.

Cellulitis pictures:

REFERENCES:

http://missinglink.ucsf.edu/lm/DermatologyGlossary/cellulitis.html

http://www.foot-pain-explained.com/cellulitis-on-toes.html

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/c/cellulitis/subtypes.htm

http://skin.emedtv.com/cellulitis/types-of-cellulitis.html

Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine by Wolff, Goldsmith, Katz, Gilchrest, Paller, and Leffell; Volume II, 2008

Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine Volume I, by Braunwald, Fauci, Kasper, Hauser, Longo, Jameson

Staph Infection:

Skin infections are very common, the major cause of which are usually bacterium known as Staphylococcus Aureus, also referred as Staph. Staph infection often affects the skin, nose or eye area of an individual. It can cause reddening, boils, blisters or any other kind of minor or major skin infection. The identification of staph infection is done by coagulation test. Once a person is tested positive for the presence of staph, one has to identify whether the bacteria are Methicillin Resistant or not as the cure for both types of staph is different.

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infection:

Antibiotics which are used for treatment of staph usually contain Methicillin. Staph which are resistant to Methicillin are referred as MRSA.  MRSA staph infections are hence difficult to treat and can prove fatal for the patients. MRSA have been traced as the cause of various blood and bone infections. The infection caused by MRSA can resemble an insect bite as the symptoms of MRSA staph infection include redness, selling of the affected area, secretion of pus, tenderness in skin and pain. It is very essential to diagnose the disease right so that correct treatment can be done as soon as possible. MRSA affected area can grow from minor skin infection to abscesses. Blood, bones, tendons and tissues and muscles around the area can all get infect by this staph. Utmost care of Pus secreted out from the wound must be taken, since if this pus spreads it can infect other parts of the body as well. MRSA staph infection usually spreads in crowded areas like schools, gyms etc. if there is direct physical contact of skin secretions containing MRSA bacteria. Used towels, keys, sheets or instruments with germs on them can also lead to this staph infection.

The affected area is cultured as soon as staph infection is diagnosed in the patient. This culture is then sent to pathological laboratories to grow the bacteria. Different antibiotics are tested on these growing bacteria to know which antibiotics will be able to kill the staph. If the staph cannot be killed using Methicillin antibiotics then it is classified as Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus infection.

Treatment of MRSA staph infection:

The treatment if MRSA is usually done by draining pus from the boil. DO NOT try draining the pus yourself at home. Great care is required to drain the secretions and even minute mistakes can lead the infection to spread dangerously. Several antibiotics are also now available in the market for treatment of MRSA staph infections. Cleanliness and proper hygiene should be maintained to prevent or cure you from such infections. Any wound should be thoroughly washed and should not be kept open for long until and unless they are healed completely. If you are a patient, never let anyone use your towel, clothing or razor.  Disinfect and sterilize all objects after you touch them. Linens should be washed in boiling water and detergents twice before they are put to use.