Staphylococcus Aureus: The Golden Staph

I was recently diagnosed with an infection in my blood called Staphylococcus. I was put on two different antibiotics that I had to give to myself, at home, through an intravenous line that was placed in my chest. I was so weak I could hardly get out of bed. I couldn't eat because nothing would stay down and I started losing weight very quickly. I was on the antibiotics for about two weeks when the doctor decided to run some tests to see how well they were working. He called me the next day and said that the infection had spread to my heart and that the bacteria wasn't dying but multiplying. I asked him what this meant and he said that if they couldn't get rid of the bacteria that I could die. Most people don't realize how deadly this disease can become if enters the blood and is not treated correctly. He immediately doubled my medications in hopes that he would be able to save me. After several rounds of antibiotics and other medications the bacteria finally started to die. This bacteria has become headline news across the nation and is now being linked to several deaths. A large number of the patients who are suffering from the perils of Staph are acquiring it while staying in the hospital. This has been raising questions about the cleanliness and sterility of hospitals all across America.

Staph is short for a bacterium called staphylococcus. There are over thirty different species of staphylococcus bacteria that can cause infections ranging from mild to life threatening. Most Staph infections are caused by a genus known as Staphylococcus Aureus (S. Aureus), literally meaning "golden cluster seed," and is also known as Golden Staph. Some of the more common complications from Staph infections include toxic shock syndrome, skin infections, and pneumonia. A more serious infection occurs when Staph enters the bloodstream, this is known as bacteremia. Identified as a lethal threat in 1999 the Staph infection, in more serious cases, can cause death in up to twenty five percent of the patients that it attacks.

People most prone to getting Staph infections include newborns and people with skin disorders. More serious infections occur in people with surgical incisions, injecting drug users, people with a weakened immune system or a chronic disease such as inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and lung disease, diseases of the veins and arteries, diseases of the central nervous system, and diabetes. Although it is very rare, the bacteria can also enter the bloodstream (bacteremia) in patients with intravenous catheters, especially if the catheters have remained in the body for long periods of time. Those who contract bacteremia usually acquire it after a surgical procedure. Infections may take longer to appear and the bacteria may develop at a slower rate if the patient is receiving antibiotics in the postoperative period.

Staph bacteria are usually diagnosed by its appearance alone since it most commonly causes skin infections. In this case no laboratory testing is needed and the minor infections are treated with a topical ointment that is generally a triple-antibiotic mixture. Some skin infections may become more serious and need a therapy that is more aggressive. These infections include cellulitis, boils, impetigo, and scalded skin syndrome.

More severe Staph infections require blood samples for culture testing in a lab. Once a diagnosis has been made the laboratory and clinicians will establish what antibiotic therapy will be most effective in killing the bacteria. Therapy is generally determined by the site of the infection and the severity of the illness. Antibiotic resistance in several strains of staphylococcus is rising. Staphylococcus Aureus (S. Aureus), in particular has become resistant to nearly all antibiotics that were previously available for treatment. Among the few antibiotic therapies that are still effective against this strain include vancomycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Both of these drugs are administered through an intravenous line directly into the bloodstream.