New Skin Infection Alert

[Spud]

So - do any of your or your schools regularly have students washing their hands before and after class?



ATLANTA - Health and sports officials are warning schools and sports teams about a hard-to-treat skin infection once common to hospitals and prisons that's now plaguing athletes on the playing field.The National Federation of State High School Associations sent a warning Tuesday to states about a staph infection that can't be cured by the usual penicillin-related antibiotics.

Though usually mild, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can progress to a life-threatening blood or bone infection. Several athletes who got the infection have been hospitalized. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the infection, which can look like an ordinary skin wound or a boil, is often not diagnosed or ends up being treated with antibiotics that can't cure it. Symptoms include fever, pus, swelling or pain.

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[7starmantis]

We all wash our hands well, and tell our students to as well, especially after chi saou or something very contact related. One thing we do that I took with me from my days at the hospital is having the anti-bacterial hand gel readily available to everyone all the time while in the school. That really helps in decrease chances of spreading "gunk".
MRSA was a huge deal back when I was at the hospital a few years back, but now its getting VERY common. We double gloved and masked up when entering a room with MRSA. Should tell you something about it!!

7sm

 

[Spud]

Gonna start packing some hand sanitizer in my bag.....

Besides, the little kids at the dojang :shudder: germ factories.

Preventing skin infection
Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacteria carried on the skin and in the nose. It's a common cause of skin infection. While most staph infections are minor, some, such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), can become serious because they're resistant to antibiotics usually used to treat them.

It's being seen in sports settings because MRSA is transmitted by sharing items such as towels, uniforms or other clothing along with razors or various pieces of equipment that had contact with an infected wound.

Symptoms vary, depending on the part of the body infected, and can include redness, swelling and tenderness, according to the New York State Department of Health.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer these tips for athletes on how to prevent MRSA or similar staph skin infections:

Cover all wounds. If a wound cannot be covered adequately, consider excluding players with potentially infectious skin lesions from practice or competitions until the lesions are healed or can be covered adequately.

Encourage good hygiene, including showering and washing with soap after all practices and competitions.

Ensure adequate availability of soap and hot water.

Discourage sharing of towels and personal items (for example, clothing or equipment).

Establish routine cleaning schedules for shared equipment.

Train athletes and coaches in first aid for wounds and recognition of wounds that are potentially infected.

Encourage athletes to report skin lesions to coaches and encourage coaches to assess athletes regularly for skin lesions.

If improvement is not seen, the doctor should get a wound culture if it wasn't done initially. A culture will indicate which antibiotic will be effective against the infection.

For more information go to www.cdc.gov.