Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus natural history, complications and prognosis
Introduction
Natural History
Natural History
- People in good health with a healthy immune system recover well from MRSA infections.
- Immunodeficiency patients suffer from severe forms of the disease, resulting in complications.
Complications
Complications
Complications of MRSA infection depends on the site of involvement. Some of the complications include:
- Septicemia
- Endocarditis
- Osteomyelitis
- Septic arthritis
- Pneumonia
- Necrotizing fasciitis
- Toxic shock syndrome
- CA-MRSA is associated with thrombosis
- Death
Prognosis
Prognosis
The major issue is that there are a number of factors that can lead to someone’s death, and it is believed that patients with MRSA bacteraemia are sicker and will consequently have a higher mortality rate because of their underlying illness. However, several studies, including one by Blot and colleagues, have adjusted for underlying disease, and they still found MRSA bacteraemia to have a higher attributable mortality than MSSA bacteraemia.
References
References
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]