MRSA Infection of the Skin: How to Care for Your Child

MRSA is a type of staph bacteria (germ) that doesn't respond to the antibiotics usually used to treat staph infections. This can make MRSA infections harder to treat, but most will heal quickly with proper care.

• If your health care provider prescribed antibiotics, make sure your child takes every dose to completely treat the infection, even if symptoms go away before then.

• Follow the health care provider's instructions for cleaning, soaking, and bandaging the area.

• MRSA infections are contagious and can spread easily among those in close contact. So, watch carefully for signs of infection in others in your household. These can include redness, swelling, or pain on affected areas of skin. The infection also might ooze fluid or pus.

• Prevent the spread of MRSA from the infection:

  • Remind your child not to touch or pick at the infected area.

  • Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, clothing, razors, or bedding.

  • Wear gloves or wash your hands before and after caring for the infected area. 

  • Have your child and all others in your household wash their hands well and often.

• You can give medicine for pain if your health care provider says it's OK. Use these medicines exactly as directed:

  • acetaminophen (such as Tylenol® or a store brand)

  • OR

  • ibuprofen (such as Advil®, Motrin®, or a store brand). Do not give to babies under 6 months old.

• Schedule any follow-up visits as recommended to make sure the infection is getting better.

• The symptoms don't improve within 48 hours or they start to get worse.

• Your child gets a fever or other new symptoms.

• Your child has increasing or severe pain in the infected area.

• The skin gets redder or the infected area gets larger.

How do MRSA skin infections happen? Staph bacteria, including MRSA, often live on skin or in the nose without causing any problems. Infections can happen if the bacteria enter the body through a wound, insect bite, or other area of broken skin. Sometimes, an infection can happen even where you don't see a break in the skin. Infections also are more likely if a child was in close contact with another person who has MRSA.

Where does the name MRSA come from? MRSA (say: MUR-suh) stands for "methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus." MRSA does not respond well to the usual antibiotics that treat staph infections. Bacteria that are hard to kill are called "resistant." Methicillin is an antibiotic normally used to treat staph, so these bacteria are called "methicillin-resistant.”

How do bacteria like MRSA become resistant to antibiotics? Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics when the medicines are not used properly. This includes:

• taking antibiotics for things they can't cure, like viruses

• not taking all the medicine prescribed

• taking medicine that was prescribed for someone else

Taking antibiotics exactly as prescribed can help stop bacteria from becoming resistant to them.