MRSA, Help!

[teamgirl]

Gymnast has MRSA. Does anyone know anything about this? Was told by Dr. got it at the gym. Has anyone ever had this before or knew it was in their gym? Looking for any information, personal experiences, or advice...Thank you.

 

[gym law mom]

Gymnast has MRSA. Does anyone know anything about this? Was told by Dr. got it at the gym. Has anyone ever had this before or knew it was in their gym? Looking for any information, personal experiences, or advice...Thank you.

Its a staph infection that can be picked up anywhere. Can be a simple mild skin infection to something as serious as a systemic infection requiring hospitalization and long term antibiotic therapy.

How to protect yourself? Cover all open wounds and wash your hands frequently.

 

[littlegirlsdream]

MRSA is becoming more wide spread everywhere. However gyms are a common place to catch it. The scary part is it is resistant to some antibiotics so it is harder to kill. It is very treatable though. Prevention is of course good hand washing and trying not to scratch or pick ares of the skin.

 

[T.Gymnastics]

from what i know is that it is a staph infection that is spread by contact with an open wound. it is resistant to some medicines and can usually present itself as a boil type thing. its easy to get from the gym because there is lots of contact with mats and apparatus. wrestlers also can easily contract it because of all the mats. it is treatble. the best way to prevent it is to wash hands and cover wounds such as rips.

 

[gymdog]

I had a staph infection about 4 years ago and I highly suspect it was picked up at the gym due to the timing. Luckily mine was treated before it spread too much, although I let it go a little long. Entry site was my foot so eventually I couldn't walk which made getting it checked out a little more imperative.

Keeping open skin covered and clean is probably the most important thing. My entry site was a blister on my foot where the skin ripped off (kind of like a rip on the hand). I had it covered but the tape was bothering me, so I removed it. Practice ended at 8:30pm, I woke up around 5am in significant pain and unable to walk. By midmorning you could see marks on my legs where the infection was spreading up the bloodstream.

 

[AmyB]

MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

MRSA is an staph infection that is resistant to many antibiotics. In the past, it was generally confined to settings like hospitals and prisons, but in the past 4 years, community acquired MRSA has become much more widespread in places like the gym. MRSA infections typically begin like small pimples, grow to boils, and can become very serious infections. Once people are infected with the illness, they can have reoccurences, so staying on top of small skin erruptions is important. As long as the doctor recognizes MRSA, as opposed to regular staph, effective oral and/or topical antibiotics can be used. Diluted bleach solutions kill standing MRSA infections, and some spray cleaners indicate that they will kill MRSA infections. Good gym cleaning procedures are helpful, as is good hand washing and always covering open sores (I worry about rips).

However, a key to prevent serious infections is identification of the illness as MRSA in its early stages. If a gymnast develops a staff infection (painful, red, hot "pimple"), the doctor should be told of possible exposure to MRSA. Doctors should be very receptive of that information and prescribe accordingly, reducing the risk of serious infections.

 

[tumblebug921]

i got a bug bite and apparently it turned into MRSA at workouts a couple of thursdays ago and i started noticing it on friday. it itched really bad, and it started a line that followed one of my veins on my thigh. i saw a doctor on sunday at church and he prescribed me some antibiotics and some medicine to put directly on it, and i wore shorts to gym and it was gone by tuesday

 

[nevertooold]

We have had one child (that I know of) and one parent in our waiting room that had MRSA last year. We follow CDC guidelines for keeping all open wounds covered and frequent hand washing. We did not permit them from coming to the gym but made sure the wounds were covered at all times. In both incidents we did not have anyone else contract it. Anything that is bloody or oozing or has the potential to bleed or ooze should be covered. We also make the kids cover things that look suspect, any breaks or abnormalities in the skin. If you have not done so you can read the CDC recommendations for MRSA at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

[mtbmom]

Gymnast has MRSA. Does anyone know anything about this? Was told by Dr. got it at the gym. Has anyone ever had this before or knew it was in their gym? Looking for any information, personal experiences, or advice...Thank you.

I am a Critical Care nurse and have seen MRSA infections many, many times. Please, please, please take ALL of your antibiotics. If it is not getting better right away or it gets worse - see your Dr. right away or go to an Emergency Room if it is after hours.

A skin infection can become a systemic infection or a very, very serious pneumonia if not caught right away.

If I've scared you.... good... I'm not trying to be mean, but this illness when left untreated or treated improperly can become deadly.

As stated by previous posters it is everywhere now. Keep wounds covered and wash your hands before you eat.

I hope you have a fast recovery.

 

[fishchimes]

Yikes. Remind me to cut my toenails so I don't slice myself by accident

(I do that sometimes at the gym, but I often have to just leave it and hope it doesn't get blood on anything because my bandages usually don't stick on feet)

I will buy stickier bandages from now on :muted:

The thing at our gym is plantar warts. Really annoying. I have one big one and a zillion little ones right now

But I had never heard of MRSA. We are in New York so all we worry about swine flu, lmao. From reading this, though, I think have learned that a. It is fast-acting (shows up within a few days) and b. If detected early it can be treated and removed quickly. Fast little guy this one.

My policy, though, is that if you have a healed cut and it has been fine for maybe a week you are probably not infected with anything. (Except maybe tetanus or rabies, har har. But gyms usually aren't rusty homes to wild animals.) So don't give yourself nightmares over the mat burn you got 2 weeks ago.

Also, just wondering, I never wash my cuts with soap, because I was never told to; I just run water over it for 20 seconds. But I'm thinking maybe I should? I sometimes put a mild antibiotic on rips after I get home.