What are treatments for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA?

Answer 1

The first question was, "Will a bath in epsom salts kill a dermatological MRSA infection".

Sadly no it won't.

MRSA is typically treated with a few super-big gun antibiotiocs that we hope won't aid the development of a yet more resisant strain. What works today are mostly Vancomycin, Bactrim, Zyvox, Doxycycline, and Daptomycin -- all big guns and all with their own dangers.

For topical problems, I've heard anecdotal success stories about lancing an infected boil (by a Doctor please -- not as a home remedy), and fighting it at the antiseptic level. While this may (or may not) have worked, that would treat only the boil; not the entire systemic disease.

More dataMRSA is normally resistant to many antibiotics. I work at a resthome and we have a few ladies there that have it. Fortunately, most MRSA still can be treated by certain specific antibiotics (for example, vancomycin (Vancocin), linezolid (Zyvox), and others). For MRSA carriers, mupirocin antibiotic cream can potentially eliminate MRSA from mucous membrane colonization. A good medical practice is to determine, by microbiological techniques done in a lab, which antibiotic(s) can kill the MRSA and use it alone or, more often, in combination with additional antibiotics to treat the infected patient. Since resistance can change quickly, antibiotic treatments may need to change also. Many people think they are "cured" after a few antibiotic doses and stop taking the medicine. This is a bad decision because the MRSA may still be viable in or on the person and reinfect the person. Also, the surviving MRSA may be exposed to low antibiotic doses when the medicine is stopped too soon; this low dose may allow MRSA enough time to become resistant to the medicine. Consequently, MRSA patients (in fact, all patients) treated with appropriate antibiotics should take the entire course of the antibiotic as directed by their doctor. A note of caution is that, in the last few years, there are reports that a new strain of MRSA has evolved that is resistant to vancomycin (VRSA or vancomycin resistant S. aureus) and other antibiotics. Currently, VRSA is not widespread, but it could be the next "superbug."

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I would add tigacillin to the list of "big gun" antibiotics. Clindamycin and bactrim/rifampin combo are "small gun" type antibiotics that are often effective, however one must do antibiotic sensitivity testing prior to using clinda. If the strain is resistant to erythromycin then assume that it has inducable clindamycin resistance and don't use it.

Topical treatments can also be of use. Some people use nasal bactroban and/or baths with chlorhexadine to attempt to eliminate carriage of the bug. However, I'm not convinced these methods are as effective as those who recommend them think they are.

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It has also been determined that Manuka Honey from New Zealand is effective against MRSA. Manuka Honey has the ability to draw moisture out of the bacterial cells, making it impossible for the bacteria to survive. MRSA bacterial cells form a septum down the middle of the cell which divides the cell into two separate cells ever 30 minutes. It has been discovered that Manuka Honey interfers with the cell division cycle, basically stopping MRSA dead in its tracks.

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