Can You Die from MRSA?

MRSA has become a commonality in the news over the past few years. What was once only talked about in hospitals and nursing homes is now common in the outside world and has effected children and adults across the country. I'd heard about MRSA before, in fact my husband had a bout of what we thought were spider bites after moving into a new home and after having the home sprayed the "bites" continued. We then found out that he had Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, aka MRSA!

The news didn't really worry us when the doctor explained that we all have the ability to get MRSA and that is was simply a staph infection that is somewhat antibiotic resistant. We didn't even get worried when it appeared again a few months after taking the antibiotics--we just went back to the doctor for another round of medicine. Then we saw the first news flash in our state about a teenage football player who died from MRSA! Died--from MRSA! We both looked at each other and said, "can you die from MRSA?"

Surely you can't actually die from this antibiotic resistant infection that we thought was no big deal all this time! Surely the doctor would have told us if it was possible to die from Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus--right?

Can You Die from MRSA?

MRSA, the superbug that used to only plague hospitals is actually a very deadly infection when it goes untreated. Statistics from the UK show that more than 1,100 people a year die from MRSA. The Office of National Statistics in the United Kingdom reports more than 3,500 MRSA related cases each year and the death rate from this infection is more than 60%! So, we ask, can you die from MRSA? YES, Absolutely!

Not only can you die from MRSA, it can cause debilitating problems if you live through it. While many MRSA infections are not dire and require minimal treatment, there are a very large amount of reported cases that result in amputations, renal failure, and worse--death! The worst thing about this antibiotic resistant superbug is that after a few times of having a MRSA outbreak patients are less responsive to antibiotics and eventually even the strongest antibiotics may do little good in treating the infection.

So, if you are ever faced with the diagnosis of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or MRSA and you aren't sure what questions to ask the doctor about the diagnosis, begin with this--"Can you die from MRSA?" Take care that the answer will be yes and that you must follow treatment guidelines to prevent future MRSA outbreaks or spread to others!