Over the years past 60 years antibiotics have been used to overcome infections both major and minor, providing life-saving relief from infections that have affected every thing from hang nails and urinary tract infections to meningitis and endocarditis. Some organisms have been nearly eliminated while others have adapted and become even more challenging to treat. In the meantime patients have become more assertive in asking for antibiotics.

As antibiotics have been more frequently prescribed to treat conditions that did not truly warrant their use, stronger and stronger antibiotics have been required to overcome the increasingly resistant organisms. Gradually "superbugs" have appeared which are resistant to many of the strongest antibiotics. Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) is one of the most common of the superbugs.

This bacteria is commonly found on the skin and in the nasal passages of many healthy individuals. As with many other organisms our healthy immune systems tend to keep Staph Aureus in check. However there are significant risks to people whose immune systems are compromised. The very young, the very old, and people who are receiving chemotherapy or radiation have immune system deficits. Likewise immunity is compromised in people with HIV, or individuals who are taking anti-rejection drugs after organ transplants. Any of these individuals may be more susceptible to MRSA which is present in our environment.

Increased risk is also present when injuries cause breaks in the skin. Cuts allow bacteria which is normally on the surface of the skin to enter the wound and invade the tissues or the blood stream of the injured individual. The wound can become inflamed and resistant to healing. Without proper treatment the infection can become systemic and life threatening.

Because MRSA and other harmful organisms are found routinely in our environment, public facilities must become more vigilant in their efforts to eliminate pathogens from the air and surfaces of commercial buildings. MRSA is not airborne, but it can be carried in droplets when someone coughs or sneezes. These droplets may contaminate, telephones, counter-tops and other surfaces. If susceptible individuals touch these surfaces, they many become infected with the bacteria and become ill.

The best defense against spread of MRSA is frequent hand washing with good technique. Housekeeping personnel should be supplied with anti-bacterial cleaners and instructed in their use. Alcohol based hand sanitizers should be available in areas where soap and water are not readily available, and antibacterial wipes should be available near multi-user telephones. Attention should be given to air filtration systems to assure that they do not favor the growth and distribution of pathogens. Instead they should be designed to inhibit the spread of bacteria.

Increased vigilance is necessary in all public buildings, but special attention will need to be given in restaurants, hotels and residence centers, to assure an environment that fosters good health for the entire population.

Learn more about this author, Susan Kliebenstein.
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