A decade ago, pediatric otolaryngologist Ralph Wetmore, MD, saw only sporadic cases of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Now, it’s so common that whenever he sees a child with a staphylococcal ear, nose, or throat infection, he immediately thinks MRSA.
“It’s not just in hospitals. It’s in homes, schools, and swimming pools. It’s here, there, and everywhere,” says Dr. Wetmore, a member of the Pennsylvania Medical Society and chair of the Pennsylvania Academy of Otolaryngology’s pediatrics committee.
In fact, about 60 percent of pediatric head and neck MRSA infections in a recent study were community-acquired, further evidence that these superbugs aren’t just limited to hospitals anymore.
The study, which appeared in the January 2009 “Archives of Otolaryngology,” found that the percentage of ear, nose, and throat MRSA infections in children more than doubled between 2001 and 2006 from 12 percent to 28 percent.
It’s also getting harder and harder to treat MRSA, requiring more powerful antibiotics that often have to be administered intravenously, Dr. Wetmore says. Severe infections can be particularly troublesome.
“If you have an infection in the neck, that usually means that you have a fairly substantial infection because it’s come from somewhere else. There, you’ll probably have to use IV antibiotics at least for some period of time,” he says.
The study authors said that about 46 percent of infections they studied were resistant to the antibiotic clindamycin, which is often used to treat community-acquired MRSA. Even then, physicians can still treat with another antibiotic, vancomycin, but Dr. Wetmore is concerned that the lines of defense are wearing thin.
“The question is: Will MRSA change over time and become even more resistant so that those antibiotics no longer work?” he asks.
“There aren’t a whole lot of new good antibiotics in the pipeline being developed to beat these resistant bugs,” Dr. Wetmore adds.
Reducing the use of antibiotics is critical as MRSA rates continue to climb. Physicians can find more information about antibiotic resistance on the Pennsylvania Medical Society website and can refer patients to the Family Health and Wellness website.