MRSA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MRSA - Essay Example MRSA leads to fatal illness resulting from bacteriemia (Rotas et al, 2007). Staphylococcus aureus is a gram – positive cocci forming grapelike clusters. They have the capacity to cause skin lesions such as boils, carbuncles, impetigo, scalded skin as well as pharyngitis, pneumonia, endocarditis, food poisoning, and toxic shock syndrome (Robbins et al, 335). Moreover, Staphyloccus aureus is considered as the major microorganism causing severe burns and surgical wounds. Next to Escherichi coli, Staphyloccus aureus is the second cause of hospital – acquired infection (Robbins, et al, 335). Robbins, et al, added that this microorganism is remarkable for its local destructiveness. MRSA, otherwise known as methicillin resistant Staphloccus areus is an organism that are resistant to the commonly used antibiotics, methicillin (MRSA, 2004). Methicillin was initially used as antibiotics to manage patients against Staphyloccus aureus infection. However, Methicillin was overused and misused and consequently resulted to a certain situation where MRSA bacterium was no longer sensitive to this particular antibiotic. As a result, methicillin was never used as antibiotics but was only intended to identify this particular type of antibiotic resistance (MRSA 2004; Stryer 2006). Stà ¶ppler (2008) stated that MRSA can be found all over the world and brings about a relatively short history. Stà ¶ppler noted that MRSA existed as long as humanity existed. In 1961, MRSA was first noted. This was approximately two years following the usage of methicillin as an antibiotic to treat the microorganisms Staphyloccocus aureus and other infectious microorganisms. During this time, it was found out that methicillin resistance was caused by a certain penicillin - binding protein that was coded for by a mobile genetic element called as methicillin resistant gene or mecA. Stà ¶ppler (2008) added that this gene continued to evolve in such a way that the strains of MRSA are resistant to other