What is MRSA?

What is MRSA? Why is it called a 'Superbug'? Sick Notes by Dr. Hope explains medical terms in plain English.

For concise #1minutemedicine check out my Instagram:
Else:

Any requests for videos to cover please drop them in the comments.

Clarifications:
- MRSA; one of the major causes is unclean facilities within hospitals / other facilities. Therefore if you are a patient or visitor it is important to report any unclean facilities to staff – don't be afraid to talk to staff if you're concerned about hygiene
- Water Infection; I should have probably said that the correct term is a urinary tract infection or UTI, and that the layman term is a 'water infection'.
- Antibiotic resistance; there are multiple causes of the increase in antibiotic resistance, not just doctors prescribing them. For example in farming many animals are given prophylactic antibiotics to keep them health and this also breeds antibiotic resistance.

Related links:
- NHS Choices have good update to date information on MRSA:

[bruja_cat]

I work at a tattoo shop & we have to learn about these sorts of bacterial infections for healing afterwards. Thanks for your clear explanation!

[RambleMaven]

I'm a future skin care therapist, and we are learning about bacteria & infection at the moment. This really helped me get a better understanding of MRSA, thank you.

[bobbysquest]

Im a surgical nurse and we had a few patients with MRSA and a lot of people tried to explain it to me I even looked it up in the internet but until I saw that video I never really got what the hell this is. Thank you so much you are really good in explaining and I finally get what MRSA is :)
Greetings from Germany

[ST-gfms]

Husband’s back surgery pre-op swab was positive mrsa colonization. We are generally healthy and do not ever need antibiotics so I was in a panic until watching this video. Thanks for explaining it In terms that I understand

[Joe]

Dr. Hope! Just found your channel and I must say I'm fascinated! My grandad actually died of MRSA in hospital years ago now. I never really knew what it was but now I do. Thanks for making these videos and taking the time out to make them even though we all know the kind of stresses you and your colleagues in the NHS are under.

[noisyando]

I had invasive MRSA when I was 4 years old. It was pure hell. I had to go to the ER for emergency surgery with intravenous antibiotics for half a month afterward.

[GeorgeDaymondLush]

Well paced - very informative and clear and i will remember it because for 60 years I have pronounced both aureus and urinary with a slightly different emphasis. Sounds like not a lot but when you hear it spoken with that different emphasis it's as if someone pushed you (gently)

[Nino]

I’m a carrier of MRSA absolutely the worst thing to have 🤦🏽‍♂️ any bump I get on my body gets infected, filled with pust and swell. I literally had it on my elbow and couldn’t move my whole left arm 🤦🏽‍♂️

[ndown]

Great video, our local hospital prescribed 'Sulfamethoxzole' january 2019 and results are looking very good, things are clearing up nicely, altho slowly....and painfully

[kokoro]

Very interesting. I am an RN in Australia and it seems we deal with MRSA a little differently here than in the UK. We do not swab every patient that is admitted. You are only swabbed if you have had an overnight stay in another hospital within the last 12 months (ED visits do not count). If the swabs return positive for MRSA we commence additional contact precautions where gloves and a disposable gown must be worn when interacting with the patient or their environment in an attempt to prevent spreading MRSA to other patients, but usually by the time the MRSA result comes through the patient has been in the hospital with no additional precautions in place for a few days. To me this method seems a bit like shutting the gate after the horse has already bolted.

[JCcreates]

My son is a carrier and has had MRSA infection 3 times in about 5 years. He just had an orange sized piece of one of his lungs cut out because of it. The hospital knew he had MRSA but they refused to keep him 1 more day to biopsy the fluid in his lung, he was sent home but was back in about 4 days, they then sent him to another hospital where they treated him correctly.

[rsbrehm]

I have had multiple instances of staph infection 10-12 years ago after a lake was drained near my residence. After developing severe cellulitis, and having it drained, I was prescribed a sulfur based antibiotic which cleared it up very quickly. My immune system didn't do a very good job, hah!

[rebeccawright]

I'm a diabetic, and about 3.5 years ago, I had an abscess rupture into the fatty tissue of my thigh, which caused cellulitis. The doctor in the ED drained it, but he never actually took any of the fluids for testing. I wound up having to stay an extra 2 nights because my pc wanted to make sure I got several extra doses of IV antibiotics. I was annoyed with that ED doctor.

[Cherriheart]

Using this to help supplement my Immunology course. Thanks!

[deliciousgixxer]

I got it when i was 25, didnt fight it off until i was 28. 16 surgeries, its a hell of a thing

[psychedelicpython]

A week ago I thought it was hives on my back. Four days ago I showed the big round red bumps to a medical person who said he was sure it was MRSA. The 5 sores on my back developed separately over two or three days, and now I'm getting sores on my left arm. I called my primary doctor's office to get an appointment, and though I told them that it's most likely MRSA and I need to be tested, they didn't seem concerned and made an appointment two weeks away. These welt looking sores hurt to have clothing touch them. I'm really worried.

[jimmyslilfella]

Is MRSA what people here in the states pronounce “Mersa?” Or is that different? Thanks

[alyssinwilliams]

I had an MRSA scare a few years back; major infection in panus, several surgeries to debride large abcesses. at one point a blood test came back positive for MRSA, but several re-tests showed none, so they ended up decided I didnt have it

[franknewton]

I had it. Still have some around a hip replacement. MRSA kept me in the hospital for 74 day's.

[skysthelimit]

Hi dr hope, I’m Jenna I’m only 16 and have constant MRSA. It’s terrible it goes away and comes back a few weeks later. What is your recommendation?