MRSA Treatment

When someone is diagnosed with an MRSA infection, the recommended treatment plan will depend on the site of the infection, the type of infection they have, the severity of their symptoms and the antibiotics that the specific strain of MSRA is sensitive to.  There are a number of possible treatment plans that can be followed. Which one is more suitable depends on whether it is a skin or soft tissue infection or an invasive infection.

Minor skin and soft tissue infections, such as smaller boils or abscesses, may only require a treatment called incision and drainage. Incision and drainage involve piercing the tip of the boil or abscess with a sterile needle or scalpel. This encourages the pus to drain out, which should help relieve pain and stimulate the recovery process. Before having the procedure, they are likely to be given a local anaesthetic to numb the affected area.

More extensive skin infections, such as cellulitis which is an infection of the underlying layers of skin, will usually require a 5- to 10-day course of antibiotic tablets. It is hard to predict what antibiotic to be given. The choice depends on the result of the testing and, in some cases, what part of the country you live in. Different regions of England often have different patterns of antibiotic resistance.

Patients are likely to be given a 7- to 14-day course of antibiotic injections if they develop skin or soft tissue infection in the hospital and are more vulnerable to the effects of the infection. This might be because you have burns or a surgical wound.  If they develop MRSA in the hospital after an invasive procedure, to reduce the risk of the infection being spread to other patients, it's likely that they will need to be transferred to an isolation room. 

They may be placed in a room by themselves or in a small ward with other people who have an MRSA infection. They should still be able to have visitors, but it is very important that they clean their hands thoroughly before and after visiting and before and after touching the patient.  Treatment for an invasive MRSA infection will involve a course of antibiotic injections. Depending on the type and location of the infection, this could last up to six weeks and a combination of antibiotics may be used.