Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (January 6) called on people to be vigilant against infection from community-associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) - a drug resistant bacterium.
The appeal was made following CHP's investigation into a confirmed CA-MRSA case involving a 50-year-old man living in Sham Shui Po.
He was involved in a traffic accident and suffered from head injury on December 16.
He was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital on the same day.
His condition later deteriorated and passed away on December 23. During hospitalization, the patient developed pneumonia and his sputum grew CA-MRSA. The case has been referred to the Coroner.
MRSA is a type of bacteria that is resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. It is a common infection worldwide and is usually associated with hospital settings. In recent years, many countries observed MRSA infections in healthy individuals who have not been hospitalized or stayed in other healthcare facilities or institutions, nor received medical procedures in the past one year prior to onset of symptoms.
They are known as CA-MRSA infections and usually have different patterns of antibiotic resistance. It is widely recognized that indiscriminate use of antibiotics may contribute to antibiotics resistance.
Members of the public are advised not to use antibiotics without medical professional advice. If they are advised by doctors to take antibiotics, they should take the medicine according to the prescribed frequency and dosage and complete the whole course.
The risk of transmission can be minimized by maintaining good personal hygiene including washing hands with soap frequently and wearing gloves when touching soiled items.
For further information on CA-MRSA, please visit the CHP website: http://www.chp.gov.hk.
hat-tip ironorehopper
No comments:
Post a Comment