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Is it true that healthy athletes have been killed by staph infection? I heard that on an ESPN sports radio program.
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You may have heard about the 2003 death of a college football player (Ricky Lannetti at Lycoming college) from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, pronounced mersa) infection.
MRSA is a bacterium responsible for difficult-to-treat staph infections in humans. It's resistant to a large group of antibiotics including penicillin and cephalosporin drugs. That makes it a dangerous infection that can spread, even causing unexpected deaths in children and young adults. When it's acquired outside the hospital or institutional setting, it's referred to as community acquired MRSA or CA-MRSA.
This young man's death brought the disease to everyone's attention. CA-MRSA starts as a simple skin infection. If it's found early enough, it can be treated successfully with antibiotics. But if it's undetected or ignored, the infection can become much more serious. Osteomyelitis (bone infection), necrotizing pneumonia (death of lung tissue), and sepsis (blood infection) can develop as a result of MRSA.
Athletes may be at increased risk because of the close quarters they share in locker rooms. They are at increased risk if they share personal items such as towels, sports drinks, or shavers. This is true for any group of people (athletes or otherwise) in similar situations. Prison inmates, homeless people, men who have sex with men, and even children in day care centers are susceptible to the spread of MRSA.
Efforts are being made to reduce this risk in all sports settings. Special anti-MRSA soaps have been developed. Players are being taught to take a full shower with soap after each workout. Education about NOT sharing personal items is a key area of prevention.
The showers, exercise equipment, and other areas athletes come in contact with must be disinfected on a regular basis. Those in charge of laundry should be instructed to use hot water and a hot dryer when washing the uniforms. There is a risk that the clothes will shrink, but this will help kill bacteria.
Anyone with a skin infection (especially one that is open, oozing, or draining) must have proper wound care and coverage of the site. Any lesions that can't be covered will put the athlete on the bench until healing occurs.
The team physician must work with the coaching staff and athletes to ensure that antibiotics (when prescribed) are taken in the proper way. The appropriate antibiotic must be chosen. The correct dosage must be prescribed. And the athlete must take the medication as instructed. Many people stop taking the drug as soon as the most recognizable symptoms are gone. This type of drug-taking is one of the main reasons bacteria have become resistant to certain antibiotics.
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*Disclaimer:*The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. |
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