This guy had typical MRSA. And, typically, he thought it was a spider bite.
It’s NOT a spider bite, it’s STAPH.
As athletes we are more prone to getting skin disruptions of all kinds and these can become infected with a number of bacteria including strep and staph. they can be serious.
IF YOU GET A ‘BITE’ that is tender and growing, pay attention. It is likely MRSA or at least MSSA (sensitve staph.)
I’m not a doctor nor do I work in the medical field but I did have 2 MRSA infections last year, please take in what Dick wrote.
Unfortunately, the community strain of MRSA is everywhere but from what I understand is not as aggressive as the hospital strain (If somebody knows better please correct me). That’s not an excuse for not getting it checked out. I thought I could tough it out and ended up with a right arm that was twice as big as my left from the swelling and pain so bad I couldn’t bend my elbow. It’s nasty shit and needs to be treated aggressively and early.
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Dick,
I just read that thread…scary stuff. Thanks for the advice.
NO! It is MORE aggressive than the hospital strain, which doesn’t do well outside of the hospital, since the wild strains are more vigorous and quickly out-compete the HA-MRSA. It mostly infects ventilators and indwelling bladder and IV catheters.
The CA-MRSA (community acquired) is more vigorous and is not readily displaced. It is also more aggressive in it’s attack. It readily penetrates the skin with the slightest scratch and it spread rapidly through the skin, unlike MSSA which tends to cause mostly boils, without all the invasion of the surrounding skin. It can get into the blood stream and cause all kinds of hell.
Bob, I’ll bet you see this stuff all the time with your patients.!?!?!?!?!?
Yea, it’s a big problem for us.
I concur with Dick. As an Emergency Medicine specialist, I see at least a dozen cases of the “so-called Spider bite” a week. Fortunately for now, we have inexpensive antibiotics available to treat MRSA skin structure infections.
BUMP for the weekdays.
I just went through this about 2 months ago. I noticed what I thought was a bite on the back on my thigh. The next day it was larger and tender. The next day it was worse. I went to the doctor and he gave me antibiotics and said it was probably MRSA (no test). This was on Friday, by Monday the whole back of my leg was swolen and very sore. I went back to the doctor and they I&D my leg and put in a wick. They also increased my antibiotics. Two days later I could hardly walk, my wife (nurse) while changing my dressing said my leg looked terrible and took me to the emergency room. They removed the wick drained my leg again. Gave me 2 rounds of IV antibiotics and sent me home again with instructions to follow up with my doctor. My doctor called the next day and said the results were in on the infection, it was resitant to one of the antibiotics they had me on. They change one and increased the doseage on the other. Over a month of 2 different antibiotics my leg healed enough that the drainage stopped and I started getting back to normal. This is some nasty painful stuff. If you get what you think is a spider bite and it proceeds to get worse, get help ASAP. The Doctor said it was very likely I contracted it from the gym.
I just went through this about 2 months ago. I noticed what I thought was a bite on the back on my thigh. The next day it was larger and tender. The next day it was worse. I went to the doctor and he gave me antibiotics and said it was probably MRSA (no test). This was on Friday, by Monday the whole back of my leg was swolen and very sore. I went back to the doctor and they I&D my leg and put in a wick. They also increased my antibiotics. Two days later I could hardly walk, my wife (nurse) while changing my dressing said my leg looked terrible and took me to the emergency room. They removed the wick drained my leg again. Gave me 2 rounds of IV antibiotics and sent me home again with instructions to follow up with my doctor. My doctor called the next day and said the results were in on the infection, it was resitant to one of the antibiotics they had me on. They change one and increased the doseage on the other. Over a month of 2 different antibiotics my leg healed enough that the drainage stopped and I started getting back to normal. This is some nasty painful stuff. If you get what you think is a spider bite and it proceeds to get worse, get help ASAP. The Doctor said it was very likely I contracted it from the gym.
READ this carefully, everyone. This is what can happen–or much worse.
** HEY EVERYONE! Read the thread about ‘insect bite help.’ MRSA!!!**
Are you talking about reading some other thread, or this one?
There is a thread entitled ‘insect bite help’ (I think) It has some photos of his ‘bite.’
Here it is:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=2160996;search_string=insect%20bite;#2160996
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thanks, great (if not yucky) info in both threads.
Spread the word.
WE want to avoid the stuff that xtremrun had to go through.