New Blood Test to Detect MRSA Infections

A fast and new blood test to detect whether a patient is infected with an antibiotic-resistant bacterium have been developed by scientists.

This "superbug" is called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or simply MRSA.

MRSA “Super bug” – Symptoms - Risk Factors – Diagnosis - Treatment
MRSA infection is the most dreaded hospital or community acquired infection that can become life-threatening.

MSRA strikes at least 280,000 people in the United States alone every year. Almost 20,000 of those patients die. The cost of treating a single case often exceeds 20,000 dollars.

Diagnosing MSRA infections quickly is important, so that treatment can begin immediately with the right antibiotic, explains Kent Voorhees from the Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colo.

The MRSA/MSSA Blood Culture Test uses paper strips to diagnose these infections so that treatment can begin within hours, rather than days.

Drug Resistance – Antibiotic or Antimicrobial Resistance
Drug resistance is often a problem in malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and hospital acquired diseases. Judicious use of antibiotics can control the problem.

"We developed a test that can tell whether a patient has MRSA or an illness that could be more responsive to conventional treatments. The new test takes only five hours, whereas current methods can take up to three days. Every day and every hour matters when you deal with MRSA infections," said Voorhees.

The study has been published in the American Chemical Society journal.

Patients With MRSA Infection can be Effectively Treated by Antibiotic Linezolid
A study conducted globally by American and French researchers says that the antibiotic linezolid may be more effective than vancomycin in treating ventilated patients

Source-ANI

FDA Approves Test to Detect MRSA Rapidly
The FDA has given its approval for the first test that could identify whether the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is methicillin resistant (MRSA)