Asked by: Serra Garabito
medical health infectious diseases

What is staph in medical terms?

12
Staphylococcus: A group of bacteria that cause amultitude of diseases. Under a microscope, staphylococcusbacteria are round and bunched together. They can cause illnessdirectly by infection or indirectly through products they make,such as the toxins responsible for food poisoning and toxic shocksyndrome.


Similarly, you may ask, what is the medical term for staph infection?

Staphylococcal infection: Infection withone of the Staphylococcal bacteria. A particularly dangerousform of this infection is methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as MRSA. Seealso Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS),Staphylococcus.

how serious is a staph infection? The infections that then may take hold areusually minor, but sometimes quite serious. “It'sharmless and it usually doesn't cause any problems or it results ina minor skin infection.” But staph can becomelife-threatening if it somehow finds its way into your bloodstream,joints, bones, lungs or heart.

Herein, how do you get staph infection in hospital?

Staph Infections in theHospital Staph germs are mostly spread by skin-to-skincontact (touching). A doctor, nurse, other health care provider, oreven visitors may have staph germs on their body and thenspread them to a patient.

What happens when you get staph?

A staph infection is caused by a Staphylococcus(or "staph") bacteria. The infection often begins with alittle cut, which gets infected with bacteria. This can look likehoney-yellow crusting on the skin. These staph infectionsrange from a simple boil to antibiotic-resistant infections toflesh-eating infections.

Related Question Answers

Deb Steinbrucker

Professional

Is Staphylococcus a toilet infection?

However, sometimes the bacteria get inside the body andcause infection. Staph most commonly causes skininfections such as boils and impetigo (school sores) but italso sometimes causes serious infections like septicaemia(blood poisoning) and pneumonia. MRSA is a common cause ofinfection in hospitals.

Rina Maushake

Professional

How do people get staph infection?

Most staph bacteria are transmitted byperson-to-person contact, but viable staph on surfaces ofclothing, sinks, and other objects can contact skin and causeinfections. As long as a person has an activeinfection, the organisms are contagious.

Salena Korbl

Professional

How long does staph infection last?

How long it takes for a staph skininfection to heal depends on the type of infectionand whether it's treated. A boil, for example, may take 10 to 20days to heal without treatment, but treatment may speed up thehealing process. Most styes go away on their own within severaldays.

Almeta De Nuez

Explainer

Does a staph infection weaken your immune system?

Results appear in the July 15 issue of ClinicalInfectious Diseases. Older adults and people with weakenedimmune systems are at highest risk, although staphinfections regularly occur in otherwise healthy people who arehospitalized. MRSA is resistant to most antibiotics, but can betreated with vancomycin.

Edelina Cadine

Explainer

How long is staph contagious?

How long is the contagious period for astaph infection? Most staph skin infections are curedwith antibiotics; with antibiotic treatment, many skin infectionsare no longer contagious after about 24-48 hours ofappropriate therapy. Some skin infections, such as those due toMRSA, may require longer treatment.

Kizzy Schurrmann

Explainer

Is cellulitis a staph infection?

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of theskin and tissues beneath the skin. The main bacteria responsiblefor cellulitis are Streptococcus and Staphylococcus("staph"), the same bacteria that can cause impetigo andother diseases. MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus)can also cause cellulitis.

Leontin Moutaouakil

Pundit

What does a staph infection look like?

Staph infection facts
Symptoms and signs of a localized staphinfection include a collection of pus, such as a boil,furuncle, or abscess. The area is typically tender or painful andmay be reddened and swollen.

Krasen Oberbuchner

Pundit

Can you have sepsis and not know it?

The signs and symptoms of sepsis following a badinfection are often subtle and can be mistaken for those ofother serious conditions. However, sepsis typically involvesthe following main features in someone who has had a recentinfection, and symptoms can come on quickly.

Fauzia Garamendi

Pundit

Is MRSA a staph infection?

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) infection is caused by a type of staphbacteria that's become resistant to many of the antibiotics used totreat ordinary staph infections.

Hammad Danas

Pundit

Does staph infection require hospitalization?

Invasive staph infections usually requirehospitalization for IV antibiotic treatment to fight theinfection and other supportive treatment to help youheal.

Katiana Fromholds

Pundit

How easy is it to get a staph infection?

Staph infections are contagious until theinfection has resolved. Direct contact with aninfected sore or wound, or with personal-care items such asrazors, bandages, etc., are common routes oftransmission.

Isabelle Schimmelpenningh

Teacher

Can you sue a hospital for staph infection?

A hospital will not always be liable when apatient acquires a staph infection under thehospital's care. Some staph infections areunavoidable. In order to prevail, a patient must prove that thehospital acted negligently, and that the negligence causedthe staph infection.

Anand Ratke

Teacher

Can staph kill you?

Staph infections can be deadly if leftuntreated. Staphylococcus aureus or“Staph” is a bacteria which normally lives onyour skin and in your nose. When methicillin and other commonantibiotic medicines do not kill the bacteria that arecausing an infection, it becomes harder to get rid of theinfection.

Cleotilde Guyen

Teacher

What is sepsis illness?

Sepsis is a life-threatening illnesscaused by your body's response to an infection. Your immune systemprotects you from many illnesses and infections, but it'salso possible for it to go into overdrive in response to aninfection. Severe cases of sepsis can lead to septic shock,which is a medical emergency.

Melda Baersch

Teacher

How did I get MRSA?

MRSA is spread by contact. So, you could getMRSA by touching another person who has it on the skin. Or youcould get it by touching objects that have the bacteria onthem. MRSA is carried by about 2% of the population (or 2 in100 people), although most of them aren't infected.

Tasneem Linton

Reviewer

Can you die from MRSA?

MRSA skin infections usually aren't serious andtypically respond to treatment. But when MRSA gets insideyour body, which is called invasive MRSA, it cancause a serious infection in your bloodstream or other organs. Thisis a life-threatening infection and more difficult totreat.

Mignon Urchulutegui

Reviewer

How does MRSA affect the heart?

MRSA can cause many other symptoms, because onceit gets into your bloodstream, MRSA can settle anywhere. Itcan cause abscess in your spleen, kidney, and spine. Itcan cause endocarditis (heart valve infections),osteomyelitis (bone infections), joint infections, breast mastitis,and prosthetic device infections.

Tennie Stuhldreher

Reviewer

Where is staphylococcus found?

Staphylococcus. Staphylococcus aureus (orStaph aureus) is a type of bacteria commonly found on theskin and hair as well as in the noses and throats of people andanimals. These bacteria are present in up to 25 percent of healthypeople and are even more common among those with skin, eye, nose,or throat infections.

Agnelio Fuentenebro

Reviewer

Can staph spread to other parts of the body?

Most staph germs are spread byskin-to-skin contact. Usually the infection is minor and stays inthe skin. But the infection can spread deeper and affect theblood, bones, or joints. Organs such as the lungs, heart, orbrain can also be affected.