William Atkins
Tuesday, 20 January 2009 05:13
Science -
Health
Page 1 of 3
According to a U.S. study, the six years from 2001 to 2006 saw a more than doubling of dangerous drug-resistant infections in the ears, nose, and throat of children caused by staph germs; specifically, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). One health expert calls it a "major public health problem."
The bacterium that is resistant to drugs and, thus, difficult and dangerous to treat is the strain called
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Also called Multiple-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or Oxacillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (ORSA), the staph germ is seen less resistant to drugs because of overly excessive use of antibiotics to treat it in the past years.
MRSA is a bacterium (a strain of
S. aureus) that is resistant to a large group of antibiotics including penicillin and clindamycin
The report is the first nationwide study that describes how frequently these infections target the deeper tissues of the neck and head, which includes the ears, the nose and sinuses, and tonsils and throat.
The article “
Nationwide Trends in Pediatric Staphylococcus aureus Head and Neck Infections” appears in the January 2009 issue of
Archives of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery (2009: 135(1): 14-16).
Its authors include Iman Naseri (Departments of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia), Robert C. Jerris (Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (Georgia), Egleston Hospital), and
Steven E. Sobol (Pediatric Otolaryngology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia).
Page two discusses the purpose of the study, and talks about its conclusions.
