How serious is it for an elderly patient to contract MRSA?

junk1@davidbevan.co.uk · medicine forum beginner Joined: 29 May 2006 Posts: 5

My Nan has been in hospital for a couple of months now. All credit to
the hospital, it is clean and they do take many MRSA precautions
including regular tests of patients.

Unfortunately my Nan tested positive for MRSA yesterday and has been
moved to an isolation ward. She is showing no signs of illness, but we
expect that MRSA is detectable before it does much damage?

.....but thats my question...

How much damage might it do? - she is an 89 year old lady with various
medical problems already. Should we be worried that it will kill her or
do most people recover?

I understand that MRSA is just a form of quite a common bug that most
people can shake off and the only reason it gets called a 'Super Bug'
is its resistence to antibiotics rather than its 'deadlyness'

....but I dont know much more about it, how worried should i be?

Also, how contagious is it? Should I stop visiting her? Im not that
worried about my own health as im reasonably young and fit, but I have
got a 1 year old daughter and I wouldnt want her to catch it. - I read
somewhere that it doesnt survive on your skin for very long so would my
daughter be safe if I left her at home?

Thanks

David Bevan
http://www.davidbevan.co.uk

pmoran@bordernet.com.au · medicine forum beginner Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 35

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