My Nasal Swab Came Back Positive for Staph – NOT MRSA – What Does This Mean?
Author: admin
14
Mar
My Nasal Swab Came Back Positive for Staph – NOT MRSA – What Does This Mean?
What does this mean? I have a red spot that has gotten a little bit larger over the course of a couple of weeks (about the size of a dime – though not circular). No blisters seem apparent. No pus. Barely raised. Saw a doctor. She prescribed Kefex, which I'm just now starting. However, while at the doctor's I requested a nasal swab just to be sure to help rule out MRSA, as my elderly dad has been in and out of the hospital and DID have MRSA and I spent a lot of time at the hospital with him. The doctor said my skin infection couldn't be swabbed because there's no liquid in it and she didn't feel there would be enough cells. Nonetheless, she said if it were MRSA after 2 week's time it would have rapidly proliferated and and would be weeping or have pus. She said it doesn't appear to be any MRSA she's ever seen before and not to worry. I prefer not to ingest meds if I don't have to so she said I could try triple antibodic ointment first before the Keflex, but my sore didn't respond. I just started the Keflex today. My nasal swab came back positive for Staph – NOT MRSA. She was quick to add the Staph in my nose is the same type of Staph that lives on "everybody's skin," so no worries. She told me the Keflex would take care of it. She seemed completely unconcerned and quickly got off the phone. Questions: 1) How does Staph get in your nose to begin with? 2) How would oral Keflex kill the staph that's in my nose? – I know it's suppose to clear up the skin infection though 3) How concerned should I be having tested positive for Staph in my nose? I realize in the research I've done this is pretty common place, but if the Keflex doesn't kill it, what could this possibly lead to? 4) Am I contagious? 5) Should I get reswabed after taking the Keflex? 6) Should I get my skin infection biopsied just in case? Thanks for any guidance on this one!
3 Responses for "My Nasal Swab Came Back Positive for Staph – NOT MRSA – What Does This Mean?"
Best Answer – Chosen by Voters 1) How does Staph get in your nose to begin with?About 40% of people have staph living in their nose or on their skin at any time. It doesn't cause any problems and doesn't need to be treated unless active infection occurs. 2) How would oral Keflex kill the staph that's in my nose? – I know it's suppose to clear up the skin infection though It doesn't. The staph lives in your nasal cavity and the keflex does not penetrate out of your blood stream to the inside of the nasal cavity and so the bugs don't die. This is not a problem, however, as the staph in your nose is not causing any disease and doesn't need to be treated. The keflex has better penetration of skin and will clear up the skin infection.3) How concerned should I be having tested positive for Staph in my nose? I realize in the research I've done this is pretty common place, but if the Keflex doesn't kill it, what could this possibly lead to? Don't be concerned. Staph is a major problem for hospitals because staff carry infections from MRSA positive patients to other patients. Hospital inpatients are already very sick and therefore at higher risk of catching a serious infection. Healthy people outside of hospitals are not likely to be affected by an MRSA infection. This is why hospitals test for MRSA and keep MRSA-positive patients in single rooms and why hospital staff have to use gowns/gloves/masks/handwashing to prevent carrying the MRSA from one patient to the others.4) Am I contagious? Yes. However, as I said before, 40% of the population are carriers of staph anyway. You don't need to take any infection control precautions. It is not something that can be or needs to be controlled outside of hospital.5) Should I get reswabbed after taking the Keflex?No, you will still be positive. Keflex is not a treatment for nasal carriage of staph (or MRSA).6) Should I get my skin infection biopsied just in case? No. This is not necessary for a skin infection. Skin infections are caused by specific types of bacteria that commonly live on the skin (staph and strep). Keflex is an antibiotic designed to treat both of these bugs.
General staph bacteria is pretty much everywhere. On your skin, up your nose, on counter tops, the steering wheel of your car, etc. What keeps us from getting sick off of them is our immune systems. If our immune systems are compromised in some way, that is when we can get a staph infection, and there are many types out there. MRSA is different. MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. If you get a generic staph infection, your doctor will prescribe you a general course of antibiotics and wipe it out. The problem with MRSA is that it doesn't respond to antibiotics. It's literally a superbug and needs to be killed with super antibiotics. This is why MRSA is so dangerous. I think it's safe to say that your doctor has you in good hands. Just follow her directions and you should be fine. Source(s): bachelors degree in health
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