Staphylococcus (often called staph) is a common type of bacteria that lives in our skin and mucous membranes (nose) with no trouble, but there is one that is called “staphylococcus epidermidis” which under certain circumstances, can become really harmful for our skin, even when they reside in its surface all the time. First of all, we are going to review the causes of staphylococcus related infections in normal that can put us on the risk spot, such as: severe atopic dermatitis, poorly controlled diabetes, kidney failure on dialysis, blood disorders like leukemia and lymphoma, malnutrition, low serum iron, alcoholism, intravenous drug users, Medication with systemic steroids, retinoids, cytotoxics or immunosuppressives, Immunoglobulin M deficiency, chronic granumomatous disease, Chediak-Higashi syndrome and Job’s and Wiskott Aldrich syndromes, some of which we can avoid easily. Some of the most common staphylococcal skin infections some involving staphylococcus epidermidis, include: impetigo, ecthyma, Cellulitis, Folliculitis, boils, dermatitis, scabies, diabetic ulcers and others that we are going to analyze in future articles.
The treatment of a staphylococcal infection usually involves using appropriate antibiotics, drainage of pus collections, surgical removal of dead tissue (debridement of necrosis), removal of foreign bodies (like stitches) that may be a focus of persisting infection, treating the underlying skin disease (like atopic eczema) and sometimes herbs, depending on the severity of the infection and on the doctor’s recommendations. Due to prevalent antibiotic resistance, it is better to put off staphylococcal infections where possible, using the most effective way: washing off hands before touching broken skin. It is also imperative to clear bacteria colonizing the nostrils and under the fingernails with antibiotic ointment (fusidic acid or mupirocin) or petroleum jelly several times daily for weeks or months.
When treatment does not seem to work, please talk to your doctor so that the infection does not get worse, painful and annoying. Staphylococcus infection is becoming increasingly defiant to many frequently used staphylococcus treatment antibiotics including penicillins, macrolides such as erythromycin, tetracycline and aminoglycosides, which doctors already know and therefore, it means sometimes making a combination of different treatments.
S. epidermidis are small gram-positive bacteria that show as individual cocci (round organisms) under a microscope. They occur individually, in pairs, or in short chains and have a strong tendency to form groups, for this reason the name Staphylococcu comes from the Greek staphyl (bunch of grapes) and coccos (granule). They grow quickly, causing a lot of staphylococcus infections.
S. epidermidis bacteria are typically resistant to many antibiotics, so most infections require treatment with antibiotics that are effective, such as vancomycin, rifampin, and newer quinolones like gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin. Additionally, effective treatment usually requires removal of any implanted medical device that is infected with the same bacteria, just so you know.
As we have analyzed over and over with staph infections, there are many methods of treatment but also many different ways to prevent them all the way. Getting staph infections is not nice to anyone, so the best thing we all can do for prevention is being hygienic and staying informed about Staphylococcus epidermidis and all bacteria associated with them.