What is staphylococcus aureus infection?

This is one of the most aggressive bacterial infections among the different types of staphylococci. These spherical, Gram-positive bacteria can cause damage to the skin and spread through the bloodstream to attack other organs, such as bones and heart valves.

A Staphylococcus aureus infection can spread from person to person through direct contact, by touching contaminated objects, or by inhaling fluids emitted when coughing or sneezing. People who carry this bacterium may not show symptoms and can transfer it from the nose to other parts of the body with their hands, potentially causing an infection, since Staphylococcus aureus primarily lives in the nose and on the skin. Hospitalized patients and healthcare workers are at greater risk of contagion.

A number of conditions can favor a Staphylococcus aureus infection, such as:

• Diabetes.
• Lung diseases.
• Surgical wounds.
• Influenza.
• Kidney failure.
• Leukemia.
• Sores.
• Burns.
• Chemotherapy.
• Implanted medical devices or prostheses.
• Transplanted organs.
• Radiation therapy.
• Chronic skin disorders.
• Tumors.

Staphylococcus aureus infections are classified as:

• Cutaneous (skin).
• Endocarditis.
• Pneumonia.
• Osteomyelitis.
• Bloodstream.

Staphylococcus aureus infections can range from mild to life-threatening, as some strains of this bacterium cause toxic shock syndrome or staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome.

After analyzing your symptoms and clinical history, your doctor will perform a physical exam and order tests to help confirm the diagnosis, such as:

• Blood and urine tests.
• Tissue samples.
• Imaging studies.

The treatment for a Staphylococcus aureus infection depends on the severity and the affected organs, but it usually includes oral or intravenous antibiotics, and surgery to remove the infected area and/or foreign material.

At the Internal Medicine Department of Centro Médico ABC, we provide medical care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies, both chronic-degenerative conditions and acute conditions, through an integral and multidisciplinary model.

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