Are we winning the war against the superbug? After Louis Pasteur proved that a link between bacteria and the transmission of diseases existed, the medical world was never the same. Doctors washed their hands before surgeries. They sterilized their tools. Surgical personnel wore hygienic clothing, rather than street clothes. Today, researchers continue to learn more about the danger that certain microbes create, in medical clinics and medical centers throughout the world. Here are some important facts related to one particular microbe: MRSA:



1. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus's alias is the "superbug"

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus is the technical term for a type of bacteria that is prevalent in medical environments. Its name is tough to remember, so you could also refer to it as MRSA, or the "superbug." MRSA is a widespread form of bacteria that actually can live harmlessly atop your skin or even inside your nose. However, the bacteria can become problematic if you are exhausted, injured, or have just been operated on. MRSA can create infections if it penetrates your body via wounds or tools inserted inside your body.

2. MRSA is costly in terms of money and lives

MRSA is more than a bacteria-it is costly. According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), roughly 90,000 people die annually, due to Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs). The most common killer is MRSA. On average, about 5% of all patients in US hospitals become infected with some type of HAI.

Furthermore, the CDC had estimated that HAIs increase America's total healthcare costs, by about $5 billion, give or take a few dollars. However, this figure is conservative, when compared with other organizations' estimates. Some of their calculations place the total cost at around $10 billion!

3. We can prevent MRSA

In the case of MRSA, prevention is vital. Various health care facilities can take certain steps to help prevent the infection rates of MRSA. These include:

• Testing patients during admission, to detect MRSA

• Requiring visitors to wear masks

• Halting all medical procedures when "clean rules" are broken

• Cleaning areas before and after any medical procedures

• Launching campaigns to educate the public about MRSA

• Using antibiotics properly preceding and proceeding surgery

• Sterilizing any equipment that contacts patients

• Using hand washing preceding and proceeding contact with patients

• Wearing clean scrubs, such as cheap landau scrubs.

4. Medical personnel can remove harmless MRSA from noses and skin. You can use ointments and antiseptic washes to wipe off the MRSA.

5. Antibiotics are not always effective

While physicians can prescribe antibiotics to treat MRSA, they are not always effective. Sometimes they are over-prescribed, overused, or misused. For instance, some patients fail to take antibiotics for the prescribed duration. Surviving bacteria create a resistance to the antibiotics, and begin to procreate.

We are still fighting the war against MRSA, the "superbug." While certain antibiotics have proven to be effective against it, the best weapons are methods such as the wearing scrubs, to prevent MRSA from spreading. Use super methods to defeat the superbug!