IMPORTANT message from Dr. Davis: MRSA Infection

Dr. Davis and Cory wanted us to post an important message about Peggy's toe infection. The type of staph that Peggy has in her toe is called MRSA which stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This is a specific strain of the Staph bacterium that has developed antibiotic resistance to all penicillins. Peggy is on an antibiotic that will be more effective in treating it now, but we also need to take precautions to keep all of YOU from contracting MRSA. Here is what we can do:

1 - Please remember to wear gloves at all times when handling Peggy's toe as well as when suctioning and handling any other bodily fluids. When in doubt - wear gloves! Also wash hands frequently and thoroughly.

2 - Change Peggy's clothing and bedding regularly and DISINFECT everything in the room regularly. Wipe down the surfaces with the lysol wipes often. Alcohol has proven to be an effective topical sanitizer against MRSA

3 - If you have any open cuts, skin lesions or conditions, etc. you could be at a higher risk - so please cover up well with bandages. If you have questions about your risk level, please talk to us. As much as we hate to say this, high risk folks may need to get off the schedule until this is resolved.

4 - If you have an infection that seems to not be responding to antibiotics, you should tell your doctor that you may have been exposed to MRSA.

Please understand that most likely no one brought this in to the house. Peggy contracted MRSA when she was in the hospital a few years ago which means that this very likely was lying dormant in her body until now. Furthermore, Staphylococcus are ubiquitous in the environment. In addition, approximately 30% of healthy adults carry Staphylococcus aureus on their skin or in their anterior nares at any given time.

If you have any more questions or concerns about this, please come talk to me. It is not out intention to freak anyone out about this - we just want to make sure we take the proper precautions to keep you all healthy and get Peggy's toe looking purty again.