MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a bacteria that is resistant to many widely used antibiotics, and because of this, it is sometimes referred to as a ‘superbug’.
Simply carrying the MRSA bacteria on your skin is relatively harmless, it is only if the bacteria gets deeper into your skin and causes an infection that is becomes a problem.
Symptoms of MRSA might include:
- swelling
- redness
- fever
- chills
- muscular pain
- dizziness
- confusion.
Although 1 in 30 people carry the bacteria on their skin, MRSA mainly affects people staying in hospitals. This is because the bacteria is most predominately spread by:
- touching the skin of someone who carries MRSA on their skin
- sharing sheets, towels of clothes with someone who carries MRSA
- touching objects that have MRSA on them.
What should hospitals be doing?
Because of the way that the MRSA bacteria is spread, it is incredibly important that hospitals maintain an exceptional level of hygiene in order to minimise the spread of infection. Those working in hospitals must ensure that:
- MRSA screening and testing is carried out prior to hospital admission for those staying overnight
- all open wounds are covered
- hospital equipment is continuously cleaned and sterilised
- hospital staff follow general hygiene procedures.
MRSA Claims
You may be entitled to claim compensation if:
- you or a loved one fell ill to MRSA as a result of poor hospital hygiene
- your MRSA symptoms were misdiagnosed
- your MRSA symptoms were overlooked
- you were given incorrect treatment for infection.