mrsa

[daffy654]

I just found out my fiance's father caught MRSA during a stay in hospital and he is now being treated at home with antibiotics and some sort of skin lotion.
My question is: do I need to see my doctor as I have had contact with my fiance's father since he came out of hospital...I have asthma and emphysema so am I more at risk of catching it than someone who is in good health?

[tamirra]

http://www.antibioticresistance.org.uk/ARFAQs. nsf/c142977c99209f3680256c91003fdf4a/93daf8cf2 44fb65280256cbb00466c05?OpenDocument

[sqad617]

daffy....I am not a bacteriologist BUT:

MRSA is spread mainly by direct contact....touching.
Droplet spread can occur, but much less likely.

Bottom line.....unlikely that you are infected.

What can you GP do?......not a lot I'm afraid.
There is a vaccine against MRSA being developed but is not yet commercially available.

There is an antibiotic effective against MRSA bronchitis in the unlikely event that you contract it.
Don't worry.

[gelda]

I've got MRSA for the 5th time in a year , the oncologist said there is no chance if anyone contracting it from me, it's usually caught from touching open wounds and then not washing their hands properly so passing it on to the nexy patient, he also told me that 60% of the population carry it but it only flairs up in people who's immune systems are low.

[sqad617]

gelda....I think that you mis-understood your Oncologist.

35%-40% of the population are STAPH carriers, but only 1% are carriers of MRSA.

Many patients develop MRSA with NORMAL immune systems.

[gelda]

I didn't misunderstand him Squad, we had a long chat about it and that's what he told me.

[sqad617]

Well he is wrong.

[daffy654]

Thank you for the advice sqad. I know little about MRSA apart from the scare stories you see on the news. I have hugged my fiance's father when he came home from hospital,he also has emphysema and was admitted with fluid on his lungs that needed draining.
I think I may phone the nurse practitioner at my GP's surgery to see if they want me to take prophylactic antibiotics.

[gelda]

Are you a doctor Squad, only asking because you seem to know a lot about medicine.

[sqad617]

gelda....surgeon.

[sqad617]

Gelda

P.S That doesn't mean I haven't a lot yet to learn.LOL