Skin infection with staphylococcus. Skin and soft tissue infections. The effect of staphylococcus on the body

Staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcus aureus) is a spherical, nonmotile and aerobic (capable of existing in the air) Gram-staining bacterium that causes various diseases in children and less often in adults.

Staphylococcus aureus gets its name from the golden glow it produces when sown on a nutrient medium. Translated from the Greek slaphyle - “bunch” and coccus - “spherical”, staphylococcus under a microscope resembles a bunch of grapes. Staphylococcus aureus is widespread in environment, it can be sown from household items, from toys, from medical instruments, from breast milk and affected skin and mucous membranes of a sick and healthy person.

Why is Staphylococcus aureus dangerous?

Normally, Staphylococcus aureus lives on the skin and mucous membranes of almost all people. But healthy people With good immunity do not suffer from staphylococcal infection, since normal microflora inhibits the growth of staphylococcus and prevents its pathogenic essence from manifesting itself. But when the body’s defenses are weakened, the microbe “raises its head” and causes various diseases, including blood poisoning or sepsis.

High pathogenicity Staphylococcus aureus is associated with three factors.

• Firstly, the microorganism is highly resistant to antiseptics and factors external environment(withstands boiling for 10 minutes, drying, freezing, ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, with the exception of “green stuff”).
• Secondly, Staphylococcus aureus produces the enzymes penicillinase and lidase, which makes it protected from almost all antibiotics penicillin series and helps to melt the skin, including sweat glands, and penetrate deep into the body.
• And thirdly, the microbe produces endotoxin, which leads to both food poisoning and a syndrome of general intoxication of the body, up to the development of infectious-toxic shock.

And, of course, it should be noted that there is no immunity to Staphylococcus aureus, and a person who has had a staphylococcal infection can become infected with it again.

Staphylococcus aureus is particularly dangerous for infants, located in the maternity hospital. It is in hospitals that the concentration of this microbe in the environment is high, which is of no small importance due to violation of the rules of asepsis and sterilization of instruments and carriage of staphylococcus among medical workers. personnel.

Causes

It is undeniable that the reason staphylococcal infection is usually Staphylococcus aureus. Infection occurs when immunity decreases, which is facilitated by a number of factors:

• taking antibiotics and hormonal drugs;
• stress;
• poor nutrition;
• hypo- and vitamin deficiencies;
• infections;
• intestinal dysbiosis;
• failure to comply with personal hygiene rules;
• immaturity of the child at birth;
• artificial feeding;
• late breastfeeding.

Types of staphylococcal infection

There are generalized and local forms of staphylococcal infection.

Generalized forms include sepsis (septicopyemia and septicocemia).

Local forms include diseases of the skin, mucous membranes, internal organs, bones, joints, mammary glands and umbilical cord. Also, food poisoning with staphylococcus endotoxin should be highlighted in a separate column.

In addition, staphylococcal infection can be primary and secondary (if there is a primary focus). Along the flow, sharp, lingering and chronic forms, and according to the severity of staphylococcal infection, mild, moderate and severe.

Symptoms depending on the affected organ

Symptoms of staphylococcal infection depend on the location of staphylococcus in the child’s body and the degree to which the body’s defenses are reduced. The main signs of staphylococcal infection include

• increase in body temperature
• severe intoxication syndrome (lethargy, weakness, lack of appetite, nausea).

Omphalitis

Microbial infection umbilical wound, which is accompanied by swelling of the umbilical ring, purulent discharge from the wound. When the umbilical vein is involved in the process, a compacted and thickened vein is palpated. There is also hyperemia that spreads upward, towards the sternum.

Skin damage

• With pseudofurunculosis (damage to sweat glands, not sebaceous glands) dense, red nodules appear in skin folds(cluster sweat glands), which then fester.
• Vesiculopustulosis is characterized by the formation of bubbles with liquid contents, which spontaneously open and a crust forms in their place.
• Exfoliative dermatitis (Ritter's disease), or “scalded skin syndrome,” is characterized by the formation of large blisters that look like burns, then the skin peels off and unprotected wounds form.
• An abscess is a lesion of the deep layers of the skin with visible redness and thickening. A cavity containing pus is formed.
• Panaritium is a lesion of the extreme phalanx of the finger.
• Phlegmon - in addition to the skin, it is involved in the process subcutaneous tissue, which is festering.

Eye damage

When the mucous membrane of the eyes is damaged, conjunctivitis develops (photophobia, lacrimation, swelling of the eyelids, purulent discharge from the eyes).

Defeat respiratory tract

Food poisoning

It develops when eating contaminated or spoiled food and occurs with symptoms of acute enterocolitis. Characterized by fever, nausea, vomiting up to 10 or more times a day, loose stool with a touch of greenery.

Sepsis

Blood poisoning, or sepsis, occurs with severe immunodeficiency. The course of the disease is severe, with a very high temperature, severe symptoms intoxication, impaired consciousness (from excitement to lethargy).

With the development of infectious-toxic shock, it drops sharply arterial pressure, the patient loses consciousness and may fall into a coma.

Septicopyemia is the circulation of Staphylococcus aureus in the blood with the formation of purulent foci, both on the child’s skin and in the internal organs.

Septicemia is characterized by the development of infectious toxicosis. Septicemia can be complicated by the addition of pneumonia, the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome, etc.

Diagnostics

Differential diagnosis of staphylococcal infection should be carried out with streptococcal infection. In the diagnosis of diseases of staphylococcal etiology, the following serological methods are used, which are characterized by speed and high accuracy:

• Standard coagulase test in vitro, which lasts 4 hours, but at negative result extended for a day.
• Latex agglutination, which uses commercial kits of latex particles associated with antibodies to staphylococcus (A-protein, clumping factor and a number of surface antigens), which makes it also useful for species and strain identification of the pathogen

Also used:

• General blood and urine tests (leukocytosis, neutrophilia, increased ESR are detected in the blood, and protein, leukocytes, staphylococci in the urine).
• Sowing biological material to nutrient media.

Sowing on nutrient media is carried out to identify the causative agent of the disease and determine its sensitivity and resistance to antibiotics.

Stool culture should be done no later than 3 hours after defecation; swabs from the mucous membranes of the mouth and nasopharynx should be taken on an empty stomach, before brushing your teeth and before taking medications.

A smear for staphylococcal conjunctivitis is taken from the lower eyelid with a sterile swab soaked in distilled water before washing.

At skin diseases smears are taken after pre-treating the skin around the wound with an antiseptic solution and removing necrotic areas (crusts) from the wound.

• Widal agglutination reaction

Allows you to determine the dynamics of the disease and the effectiveness of treatment. It is carried out 2 or more times with breaks of 7-10 days. An increase in antibody titer in the blood of more than 1:100 indicates the progression of the infection.

• Phagotyping of isolated staphylococci

Allows you to determine the sensitivity of a microbe to phage viruses in order to prescribe appropriate treatment.

Treatment

For mild forms of staphylococcal infection, antibiotics are not required.

For moderate and severe forms Semi-synthetic penicillins (amoxiclav), which are effective when the microorganism is resistant to penicillins, and cephalosporins (kefzol, ceftriaxone) are prescribed.

The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the disease and infection of the skin or internal organs (from 7 days to several months).

For purulent-inflammatory skin diseases (furunculosis, carbuncle, impetigo) it is prescribed local treatment- mupirocin or pleuromutilin derivatives. In their absence, wounds can be treated with antiseptic solutions: brilliant green, hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate and antibacterial ointments(syntomycin, oleandomycin ointments, Bactroban).

At conjunctivitis The eyes are washed daily with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and a 30% solution of albucid is instilled 4-5 times a day.

For purulent skin lesions ( abscesses, phlegmon), surgical opening of the abscesses is performed to drain the pus.

In addition, the administration of antistaphylococcal bacteriophage, antistaphylococcal plasma and immunoglobulin is indicated (for sepsis and severe diseases).

For staphylococcal food poisoning Antibiotics are not prescribed; antistaphylococcal toxoid is used. Carry out gastric lavage and replenishment of circulating blood volume with intravenous infusions saline solutions(saline solution, glucose solution, rehydron and others).

To prevent intestinal dysbiosis, it is recommended to use antifungal drugs(Diflucan, nystatin) in parallel with antibiotics.

At the same time, immunocorrective therapy is prescribed (vitamins B, C, levamisole, Tactivin and others).

A pediatric infectious disease specialist treats staphylococcal infections in children.

Treatment methods are selected depending on the damage to certain organs. The child is hospitalized in a separate ward-box, where bed and underwear are changed daily and the patient showers daily.

Complications and prognosis

Staphylococcus aureus is especially dangerous for children infancy. Possible complications:

• sepsis;
• infectious-toxic shock;
• coma;
• death.

The prognosis depends on the severity of the disease and the effectiveness of treatment.

With mild lesions of the skin and mucous membranes, the prognosis is favorable. Massive infection with Staphylococcus aureus, especially with the development of sepsis, is fatal in 50%.

Staphylococcus is the most common microbe on our planet. There is probably not a single person who has not heard of him. harmful influence on the body. However cutaneous staphylococcus- this is just a collective name for distributors of very serious diseases.

The effect of staphylococcus on the body

Of this entire group of microorganisms, the most dangerous, as well as the most common, is. Infection with this dangerous microorganism can lead to many diseases, among which the most famous are the skin forms:

• pyoderma;
• furunculosis;
• carbunculosis;
• felon;
• phlegmon;
• erysipelas and many, many others.

Staphylococcus is very difficult to overcome. After all, even in a dried state, it is able to retain its destructive properties for six months. This microbe does not die even under the influence sunlight, and when frozen. But the pathogenic effect of this microbe is due to the fact that it produces a very strong toxin that damages almost all layers of the skin. Among other things, this microbe produces a special substance that protects it from the action of not only leukocytes, the main defenders of our body, but also from antibiotics. That is why cutaneous staphylococcus, the symptoms and treatment of which will be described here, is the most common and intractable skin disease.

Anyone can become infected with a staphylococcal infection, but this disease can progress differently for everyone, because it all depends on how strongly a person’s immunity is developed, under what conditions this microbe got on his skin and whether the treatment was chosen correctly. However, there are also people who live with this dangerous microbe for years in a kind of “friendship”, and despite the fact that it is present on their skin, it does not cause any diseases.

Symptoms of cutaneous staphylococcus

The symptoms of each disease caused by cutaneous staphylococcus will depend on the location, severity and level of the body's defenses. Although sometimes cutaneous staphylococcus can change these symptoms, so understand the real reason diseases can be quite complex. Let's look at each disease that this microbe causes in more detail.

• Pyoderma. This disease most often occurs in newborns and is a consequence of poor care. In this disease, staphylococcus penetrates into the upper layers of the skin and because of this, very small blisters with purulent contents appear on it. The child tries to comb these blisters, and at the same time the leaking pus occupies more and more new areas of the skin. The disease occurs with high fever and malaise, but the baby’s general condition does not suffer much.
• Furunculosis. A very common skin disease caused by cutaneous staphylococcus. Symptoms depend on the location of the microbe, and it can cause an inflammatory process on any area of ​​the skin. With furunculosis, a slight redness appears on the skin, which has a kind of necrosis in the center. Gradually, the necrotic tissue dies and pus begins to flow out of the small wound. Boils on the neck and face are especially dangerous, because the inflammatory process that occurs in the skin can easily and simply spread to the meninges.
• Felon. Inflammation of the periungual fold, which is also caused by cutaneous staphylococcus. In this disease, the affected nail plate and the skin around it looks reddened and hot to the touch, often the inflammatory process is accompanied by mild pain. If you open the epidermis at the site of inflammation, then pus will begin to flow out of it. The process may eventually spread to other fingers, as well as move to deeper layers of the skin.
• Phlegmon. Inflammatory disease skin, which is characterized by very severe swelling skin, redness of the inflammatory area, elevated temperature body, general malaise. If penetrated into fiber, it can cause very severe inflammation skin, up to tissue death.
• Erysipelas. Exactly this serious illness, which can be caused by cutaneous staphylococcus. With this disease, the body temperature rises to 40 degrees, the person experiences constant nausea, which often turns into vomiting. Inflammatory process most often localized on lower limbs. The site of inflammation looks reddened, hot to the touch, and sometimes small rashes. General state a person with this disease can be very severe.

Treatment of cutaneous staphylococcus

Since cutaneous staphylococcus, the treatment of which must be long-term, is not only the most common microorganism, but also the most resistant, simply treating it with antibiotics is not enough. That is why a whole range of measures are used in the treatment of this disease.

• Antibiotics. However, the use of antibiotics for this disease should be justified. Not every antibiotic can cure cutaneous staphylococcus. Most often used intravenously and intramuscular injection medicines. The most effective drugs will be gentamicin, ampicillin, oxacillin or amoxiclav. It is these antibiotics that not only stop the growth of staphylococcus, but also prevent it from spreading further in the body.
• Antibiotic ointments, for example, “Levomekol”, “Methyluracil”, “Gentamicin”. These ointments should be applied morning and evening, generously lubricating the affected area of ​​the skin.
• Vitamin therapy is needed in order to boost immunity and prevent skin staphylococcal infections from becoming subcutaneous. It is also good to start taking adaptagens, for example, eleutherococcus and ginseng. These drugs will also help fight this terrible infection.
• Autohemotherapy, that is, the introduction of a person’s own blood, taken from a vein, into the muscle also gives a good effect when complex treatment staphylococcal infections.
• But it’s better to forget about sauna and warming procedures, as they can increase inflammation and increase the amount of pus.

The causative agent of staphylococcal infections is the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. These infections are usually easy to treat. Most often, staphylococcal infections affect the skin in places where it is damaged (for example, with burns or wounds). Fortunately, in most cases the infection is minor and goes away quickly if the affected area is washed and bandaged. However, if your symptoms worsen or your temperature rises, you should consult a doctor. Much less commonly, a staph infection can enter the bloodstream and cause serious problems with health. In this case, you should immediately seek medical help to avoid life-threatening complications.

Attention: The information in this article is for informational purposes only. Before using any medicines consult your doctor.

Steps

Diagnosis and treatment of skin infections

Look for pimples, boils, and areas of red or swollen skin. Most often, staphylococcal infections affect the skin. In this case, acne, boils, blisters form, in the affected areas the skin turns red and swollen, it becomes hot to the touch. Sometimes the infection is accompanied by pus or other discharge.

• Damaged skin is especially susceptible to infection. To prevent staph infections, wash your hands frequently and keep affected areas of the skin clean.

1. IN mild case infection, wash the affected area three times a day and cover it with a bandage. With proper home care Small abscesses and mild infections go away on their own. Rinse the damaged area thoroughly and keep it in warm water for 10 minutes three times a day, then apply sterile bandage. Change the bandage 2-3 times a day or if it gets wet.

   • If desired, you can add salt to warm water. Try holding the damaged area aqueous solution salt. To do this, take 1 liter warm water and add a tablespoon (30 grams) of salt to it. Salt will help soothe the skin. Although salt does not kill staph bacteria, it does help get rid of other germs.

2. Do not try to squeeze out the abscess yourself. Only touch the affected area when you need to clean it, and be sure to wash your hands before and after. Do not try to remove the abscess, poke it, or squeeze out the pus.

   • Do not scratch the infected area or try to squeeze out the abscess, as this may contaminate the skin and further spread germs.

3. If there are signs of a serious skin infection, contact your doctor immediately. Minor swelling and redness will go away on its own in a day or two if you keep the affected area clean. However, if pain, swelling or abscesses increase or are accompanied by fever, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.

   • Only a doctor can definitely recognize a staphylococcal infection and prescribe appropriate treatment.
   • Cover the injured area with a sterile bandage until you see a doctor.

   Recognizing internal organ infection

   1. If you have food poisoning, get plenty of rest and drink enough fluids. Staph infection is a common cause food poisoning. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are observed. If the poisoning is caused by a staph infection, it usually goes away in about a day. Contact your doctor if your condition does not improve within 24 to 48 hours.

      Contact your doctor if you think you have septic arthritis. This joint infection is often caused by staph bacteria. Make an appointment with your doctor if you experience symptoms such as strong pain in the joints, their redness and swelling, heat. The infection usually affects the knees, ankles, or toes, and only affects one joint.

      Seek immediate medical attention if you experience toxic shock (ITS). When staphylococcus bacteria enter the bloodstream and internal organs, ITS can occur. Its symptoms include temperature above 39°C, disorientation, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, red rash on the palms and soles.

      • ITS requires immediate medical attention. Toxic shock may occur from using a tampon for longer than recommended or from infection of a burn, wound, or surgical site.

   2. Seek immediate medical attention for symptoms of sepsis. Sepsis is dangerous disease caused by the reaction immune system to the spread of infection. Symptoms of sepsis include fever above 39°C, chills, disorientation, rapid pulse, labored breathing. Without immediate medical care Sepsis can lead to blood clots, impair circulation, and cause organ failure.

Health hazards lurk at every step not only for children, but also for adults. A large group consists of diseases caused by harmful bacteria.

Staphylococcus aureus belongs to a type of spherical bacteria of the genus Staphylococcus. Microorganisms are gram-positive - they retain pigmentation when washed using the Gram method.

The bacterium has the ability to survive on mucous membranes and outer skin. It doesn't always cause illness. A person may simply be a carrier. There are up to 40% of such people around the globe.

Carriage may have different character– permanent or transient. This circumstance is influenced by the state of the competing microflora, the type of strain and the health of the carrier. The existence of Staphylococcus aureus was discovered by Scottish surgeon Alexander Ogston in 1880.

In 1884, the bacterium was described. Conducted research German doctor Ottomar Rosenbach, professor of internal medicine and pathology. The species is named because of its appearance under a microscope. Most bacteria are colorless when viewed closely, but these microorganisms have a golden hue.

Their color is ensured by the presence of a coloring pigment from the group of carotenoids found in the tissues of organisms. The length of the staphylococcus chromosome is up to 1 micron, and it contains a huge number of genes - more than 2.5 thousand.

Cocci are immobile during their life cycle, attached to the epithelium in pairs or singly. By appearance their colonies resemble bunches of grapes, which is also reflected in the name of the genus (“stafula” translated from Greek means “bunch of grapes”).

Staphylococcus aureus does not form spores. Bacteria are very picky about environmental conditions. The optimal air temperature for their active development is 30-37 C, the acid-base balance should be neutral.

After the antibiotic penicillin was discovered, it was actively used in the fight against Staphylococcus aureus, and therefore the species mutated, developing resistance to the substance. Resistance is due to the presence in bacteria of an enzyme that breaks down penicillin molecules, called penicillinase.

Currently, Staphylococcus aureus is combated by using another antibiotic, methicillin. The medicine is a chemical modification of penicillin that bacteria are unable to destroy.

However, in the process of ongoing natural selection, some strains have developed resistance to this drug. The existence of even more resistant groups with vancomycin resistance and glycopeptide resistance has been established.

Causes and types of diseases, mechanism of infection

Very often, infection occurs in a hospital setting.

Staphylococcus aureus ranks high on the list of pathogens that enter the body of patients while in a hospital setting.

The range of diseases caused by bacteria is striking in its diversity:

1. Skin infections - carbuncles, boils, cellulitis, folliculitis, bullous impetigo.
2. Respiratory tract infections - pneumonia, sore throat.
3. Infections of the central nervous system– meningitis, brain abscess, thrombophlebitis of the superficial veins of the brain.
4. Infections genitourinary tract– cystitis, urethritis.
5. Infections of bones, joints, muscles - osteomyelitis, purulent arthritis, purulent myositis.

The causes of staphylococcal infections include the following factors:

• presence of chronic diseases;
• weakened immune system;
• taking a large number of medications;
• avitaminosis;
• frequent stress;
• infection from a carrier;
• living conditions that do not meet sanitary and epidemiological standards.

Infection with Staphylococcus aureus is particularly dangerous for both children and adults. Microorganisms are highly resistant to most drugs and adverse external factors.

A peculiarity of this species is its ability to produce endotoxins, which cause general intoxication of the body, and with late medical intervention - sepsis and infectious-toxic shock.

Immunity to infectious pathogens is not developed, so there is no guarantee that once you catch an infection and are cured, you will not be able to get sick again.

The mechanism of penetration of Staphylococcus aureus inside human body consists of several stages:

1. Contamination. From the external environment, cocci enter the mucous membranes and skin membranes. With the help of a special acid, they attach to the epithelium and begin to produce toxins.
2. Penetration through the epithelium and attachment to extracellular elements. Bacteria are not able to penetrate through intact skin and mucous membranes. They penetrate inside in cases where a person’s natural protective barriers are damaged and the excretory ducts of the glands are clogged. Staphylococci attach to molecules of fibrinogen, laminin, elastin, collagen and other tissues.
3. Tissue destruction. During its life, Staphylococcus aureus produces a number of enzymes that create a favorable habitat for it, and toxins that destroy the membranes of cells in the human body.
4. Destruction of immune barriers. After staphylococcus penetrates the body, phagocytes, which are active defenders of the immune system, attack pests. Bacteria are able to resist their effects and destroy the phagocytic cells themselves. They can also penetrate into phagocytes and live in them.

Symptoms of infection

Staphylococcus aureus: culture

Penetrating inside the body, Staphylococcus aureus causes the following symptoms in adults:

• fast fatiguability;
• general weakness;
• lack of appetite;
• aches in bones and joints;
• and gagging;
• increase in body temperature.

This general signs infection by harmful bacteria. Depending on the strength of the immune system and the resistance of the body systems, this list may be supplemented by other symptoms that more specifically indicate the type of disease.

Skin infections are characterized by rashes on the skin, the appearance of blisters with purulent contents, crusts, redness, and induration.

Respiratory tract infections include nasal discharge, sore throat, cough, and shortness of breath. Urinary tract infections are accompanied by painful urination, pain in the lumbar region.

Infections of bones, joints, and muscles are accompanied by aching pain, hyperemia of the skin in the damaged area, the appearance of swelling, and the release of pus through the skin.

Treatment methods

Staphylococcus aureus is a dangerous coccus

In order to prescribe effective therapeutic procedures, you must first install accurate diagnosis to the patient.

To determine the presence of colonies of Staphylococcus aureus in the body, analyze the composition purulent discharge from affected organs and tissues or biological fluids.

Biological material from purulent abscess stained using the Gram method. Research always reveals a large number of cocci and neutrophils (leukocytes).

Colonies whose samples are positive for the presence of enzymes coagulase, catalase, thermonuclease, with high probability can be classified as Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a gram-positive bacterium with a spherical or oval shape. Belongs to facultative anaerobes. This is the most pathogenic species staphylococci for humans.

What kind of disease this is, what causes and routes of transmission, as well as what signs a person encounters when an infection enters the blood, we will consider further in the article.

What is Staphylococcus aureus?

Staphylococcus aureus gets its name from the golden glow it produces when sown on a nutrient medium. Translated from the Greek slaphyle - “bunch” and coccus - “spherical”, staphylococcus under a microscope resembles a bunch of grapes.

The pathogenic microorganism is active in the body of both children and adults. But if the body’s immune system works stably, then normal microflora suppresses the activity of these bacteria. If the body's reactivity weakens, the microbe becomes more active and provokes the progression of pathologies.

Features of Staphylococcus aureus:

• the bacterium is resistant to various antiseptics, and also does not die for a long time when boiling, freezing, drying, etc.;
• do not form a dispute.
• Bacteria are very picky about environmental conditions. The optimal air temperature for their active development is 30-37 C, the acid-base balance should be neutral.

Causes

The human immune system does not allow its pathogenic properties to manifest itself. IN healthy body it is able to withstand the onslaught of all pathogenicity factors of a given bacterium (enzymes, hemolysins, toxins, etc.). If local and general immune defense weakens, a staphylococcal infection develops.

Infection with Staphylococcus aureus occurs when immunity decreases, which is facilitated by a number of factors:

• taking antibiotics and hormonal drugs;
• stress;
• poor nutrition;
• hypo- and vitamin deficiencies;
• infections;
• failure to comply with personal hygiene rules;
• prematurity;
• immaturity of the child at birth;
• artificial feeding;
• late breastfeeding.

By the way, strains of resistant, the most dangerous and terrible staphylococcus, not sensitive to most known antibiotics, are called MRSA (from the English Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Only people with a low immune response are likely to “catch” such an instance:

• patients with HIV (), oncological diseases, severe asthma, diabetes mellitus;
• old people;
• patients after organ transplantation;
• patients taking corticosteroids for a long time, and others.

How is Staphylococcus aureus transmitted?

Transmission routes:

1. Staphylococcus aureus is most often spread through contaminated hands.
2. Healthy skin and mucous membranes are an effective barrier against infection. However, if these barriers are violated (skin damage due to injury or mucous membrane due to viral infection), infection opens to the underlying tissues and bloodstream, which causes disease.
3. People who are immunocompromised or have invasive medical devices are particularly vulnerable.

The range of diseases caused by bacteria is striking in its diversity:

• Skin infections - boils, cellulitis, folliculitis, bullous impetigo.
• Respiratory tract infections - pneumonia,...
• Infections of the central nervous system - meningitis, brain abscess, thrombophlebitis of the superficial veins of the brain.
• Urinary tract infections - urethritis.
• Infections of bones, joints, muscles - osteomyelitis, purulent arthritis, purulent myositis.

One of the negative features of Staphylococcus aureus is its resistance to treatment with many antibiotics, including penicillin. For this reason, it causes serious outbreaks of nosocomial infections.

Symptoms of Staphylococcus aureus

Specific clinical manifestations Staphylococcal infection depends on the location of introduction of the microorganism and the degree of decreased immunity in the patient. For example, in some people infection ends with a simple boil, and in weakened patients - with an abscess and phlegmon, etc.

General symptoms characteristic of Staphylococcus aureus in adults:

• fast fatiguability;
• general weakness;
• lack of appetite;
• aches in bones and joints;
• nausea and vomiting;
• increase in body temperature.

These are common signs of infection by harmful bacteria. Depending on the strength of the immune system and the resistance of the body’s systems, this list may be supplemented by other symptoms that more specifically indicate the type of disease.

Skin damage

Skin infections are characterized by rashes on the skin, the appearance of blisters with purulent contents, crusts, redness, and induration.

Infections of ENT organs and eyes

Getting on the mucous epithelium of the throat or nose, staphylococcal infection provokes the occurrence of sore throat, and other inflammatory pathologies ENT organs or upper respiratory tract.

When Staphylococcus aureus infects the lungs, staphylococcal pneumonia develops, characterized by shortness of breath and chest pain, severe intoxication body and formation in lung tissues sets purulent formations, gradually transforming into abscesses. When abscesses break through pleural cavity pleural suppuration (empyema) develops.

When the mucous membrane of the eyes is damaged, conjunctivitis develops (photophobia, lacrimation, swelling of the eyelids, purulent discharge from the eyes).

CNS damage

If Staphylococcus aureus enters the brain, there is a high probability of developing or abscessing the brain. In children, these pathologies are extremely severe and cases are not uncommon. fatal outcome. Characteristic symptoms:

• intoxication syndrome;
• hyperthermia;
• severe vomiting;
• meningeal symptoms are positive;
• elements of a rash appear on the skin.

Staphylococcus aureus affects the genitourinary system

Infection urinary tract caused by Staphylococcus aureus is characterized by:

• urination disorder (frequency, pain),
• slight fever (sometimes there may be no fever),
• the presence of pus, blood admixtures and the detection of Staphylococcus aureus during general and bacteriological examination of urine.

Without treatment, staphylococcus can infect surrounding tissues (prostate gland, perinephric tissue) and cause or form kidney abscesses.

Damage to the musculoskeletal system

This pathogen is the leading cause of purulent lesions of the musculoskeletal system (osteomyelitis and). Such pathological conditions develop more often in adolescents. In adults, staphylococcal arthritis often develops against the background of existing rheumatism or after joint replacement.

Food poisoning

It develops when eating contaminated or spoiled food and occurs with symptoms of acute enterocolitis. Characterized by fever, nausea, vomiting up to 10 or more times a day, loose stools mixed with greens.

Staphylococcus aureus – dangerous look bacteria that cause many infections when the patient’s immune system is weakened. Upon detection of the first common symptoms(lethargy, nausea, lack of appetite) you should urgently consult a doctor.

Diagnostics

If signs of inflammation appear in any organ, you should contact the appropriate specialist. If it is difficult to determine on your own what is affected in the body, consult a therapist or pediatrician. After diagnosis, the patient can be referred to a specialized specialist:

• surgeon (for abscesses of internal organs),
• dermatologist (for skin lesions),
• cardiologist, pulmonologist, traumatologist, rheumatologist, ophthalmologist, neurologist, dentist.

The standard diagnostic plan includes the following methods:

• latex agglutination;
• standard coagulase test in vitro;
• clinical and biochemical analysis blood;
• sowing of biological material;
• swab from the eyelid if there is a suspicion of;
• Widal agglutination reaction.

Depending on the type and location of the staphylococcal infection, the following are used as biological material:

• discharge of mucous membranes (most often in the nasopharynx);
• sputum;
• wound contents (pus and inflammatory exudate);
• blood (for sepsis);
• urine;
• bile;
• cerebrospinal fluid

Staphylococcus aureus on nutrient media forms smooth convex cloudy colonies about 4–5 mm in diameter. Such colonies are painted in various shades yellow color, which determines the name of the pathogen.

Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus

The main point in the treatment of staphylococcal infection is antibacterial therapy drugs to which the pathogen is sensitive. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the few microorganisms that have a high ability to develop resistance to antibiotics.

Microorganisms are especially dangerous, "living" in medical institutions. During their lives they have encountered a lot of drugs and disinfectants, so choose really effective treatment With hospital-acquired staphylococcal infections, it is very difficult for doctors.

Taking antibiotics

Staphylococcus aureus is characterized by increased resistance to many antibacterial drugs. For this reason, antibiotics that are active against this microorganism are used only in the treatment of complicated, life-threatening forms of the disease.

A similar approach to therapy avoids the formation of resistance certain strains of Staphylococcus aureus to the antibacterial agents used.

Severe staphylococcal infections require the prescription of parenteral (injection) antibiotics, of which preference is given to:

• protected penicillins (Nafcillin, Ampicillin + Sulbactam);
• first or second generation cephalosporins (Cephalexin, Cefuroxime, Cefazolin) in combination with Clindamycin.

Vancomycin is reserved for resistant strains of MRSA; it is also prescribed if the infection is life-threatening.

Immunostimulation

1. Autohemotransfusion - intramuscular injection of the patient's own venous blood. This procedure is widely used to treat furunculosis.
2. Subcutaneous or intramuscular administration of antistaphylococcal antitoxic serum or intravenous administration antistaphylococcal plasma.
3. Herbal immunostimulants - Schisandra, Echinacea, Eleutherococcus, Ginseng, Chitosan. These drugs normalize energy and basal metabolism, have an adaptogenic effect - help cope with stress and stress.
4. Patients with pronounced signs immune dysfunction, synthetic immunomodulators are indicated - “Polyoxidonium”, “Ismigen”, “Timogen”, “Amiksin”.

The prognosis depends on the localization of the pathological focus of staphylococcal infection, the severity of the disease and the effectiveness of treatment.

With mild lesions of the skin and mucous membranes, the prognosis is almost always favorable. With the development of bacteremia with damage to internal organs, the prognosis sharply worsens, since in more than half of the cases such conditions result in death.

Prevention

Basic personal prevention measures:

• personal hygiene (clean hands, wet cleaning at least 2 times a week, properly prepared food);
• timely treatment of infectious diseases - dental caries, boils, sore throats, inflammation and tonsils, and others;
• avoiding crowded places during the peak of respiratory diseases;
• refusal to consume dairy, meat and confectionery products stored improperly, especially in hot weather;
• immediate treatment of skin wounds with antiseptics, applying a bandage or plaster to them;
• refusal to visit beauty salons and dental clinics, in which due attention is not paid to the disinfection of medical instruments.

If any skin rash occurs, as well as feeling unwell, be sure to seek advice from a specialist. Staphylococcus aureus has serious consequences for the body and to avoid them, you need competent treatment prescribed by a doctor.