MRSA testing in Los Angeles is very important. MRSA means Methicillin-Rofesistant Staphylococcus Aureus and it is a type of staph bacteria. A lot of people have these bacteria living in their noses and on their skin. The bacteria do not cause any harm but when it enters the body through a scrape, cut or any other open wound, they can cause an infection. Most infections are minor and will heal on their own or can be treated with antibiotics.
The bacteria are different from other types of staph bacteria. In normal staph infections, antibiotics kill the bacteria and prevent them from spreading or growing. However, in an MRSA infection, the medicine or antibiotics used to treat other staph infections do not work. These bacteria are not killed and will continue to grow and spread. When antibiotics do not work on bacterial infections, it is known as bacterial resistance. The resistance makes it very hard to treat certain types of bacterial infections.
MRSA infections happened to hospital patients in the past. Now, they are becoming common in healthy people and these infections can spread from one individual to another through contact with contaminated objects. The bacteria are not spread through the air like flu or cold virus.
However, you can contract MRSA infection if you share items such as razors, towels and other personal items. You may also get this infection if you have personal contact with someone who has an open wound that is infected. This can happen when a lot of people are close to each other such as in the locker room, college dorm and military barracks.
MRSA testing looks for MRSA bacteria in samples from wounds or other body fluids. MRSA can be effectively treated with powerful and special antibiotics. If it is left untreated, the infection can lead to a very serious illness or even death.
What are the tests used for?
The test is most often used to find out if one has an MRSA infection. It can also be used to check if treatment for an MRSA infection is working or not.
Why do you need an MRSA test?
You will need this test if you have symptoms and signs of MRSA infection. The signs and symptoms depend on where the infection is located. Most infections are found in the skin but the bacteria can also spread to the lungs, bloodstream and other organs.
An infection on the skin may look like a rash. An MRSA rash has a red appearance and looks like swollen bumps on the skin. Some people mistake this rash for a spider bite. If you are infected, the infected area might be painful and warm to touch. Some of the common symptoms of an MRSA infection include chills, fever, headache, and MRSA rash.
MRSA test
During MRSA testing in Los Angeles, a healthcare provider takes a fluid sample from your nose, wound, urine, or blood. After the test, the sample will be sent to a laboratory for testing. Tests take between 24 hours and 48 hours to get results.
