MRSA - My Family's Fight

http://www.cdc.gov/

  This year my baby girl, 10 months old at the time, developed a very mild diaper rash.  One week later, the diaper rash was gone but, there was a small red bump with a little white head on it in the crease between her thigh and diaper area.  I thought it was a pimple or possible another diaper rash.  So, I put diaper cream on it.  The next day it was bigger, red and the white head looked more green.  My daughter also developed a low-grade fever.  I knew whatever it was, it must have been infected.  We called the pediatrician right away.  When they saw her they right away said it was MRSA.  The doctor said when she had the diaper rash she probably had a very small crack in her skin from it.  This tiny opening gave MRSA a way in to cause an infection.  They drained the abscess (pimple like bump) and put her on oral antibiotics and she got better soon after.  However, she got another abscess in her diaper area two months later.  I was able to catch it early and they put her on antibiotics yet again. 

Unfortunately, it came back again two weeks later and worse than ever.  As soon as I noticed the symptoms I called the doctor right away and they called in a prescription to our pharmacy.  However, it was getting worse within a matter of hours so I called them back but they were closing.  So, they had me bring her into the doctor's office first thing the next morning.  By the time we got there my daughter (then 12 1/2 months old) had spiked a fever of 103 F and her abscess was so large that her bottom was very swollen, bright red, hard and extremely tender.  My little girl was miserable!  As soon as they saw here they said I needed to rush her over to the ER.  The doctor's office had called ahead so there was a team of people waiting for us when we got there.  

In the hospital with my baby girl.

In the hospital they assessed her, gave her something to reduce her fever and then admitted her.  My daughter needed I.V. antibiotics and surgery!  She was in so much pain and feeling so terrible that I wanted them to do whatever they needed to do to make her better.  The doctors told me that MRSA creates an abscess that has a large pocket of pus deep under the skin and off of this large pocket are several smaller pockets also infected with MRSA.  The surgery allows them to scrape out all the infection in the large pocket as well as the infection hiding in the smaller pockets.  If the smaller pockets are left, they will create new abscesses essentially making it recurring MRSA. 

After four nights and five days in the hospital my daughter was released.  However, before leaving I made sure I got all the information I could as to how to prevent this from happening again.  I spoke with nurses, pediatricians, pediatric surgeons, etc. and wrote everything down that they told me.  I never wanted my baby to go through that again!  Nor did I want my two older kids to catch it either.  As soon as I got home I put into action everything I learned at the hospital:

• Always wash your hands with Dial Foam soap: before and after changing diapers, after going to the bathroom, before and after handling food, before eating, when you come home, etc.
• Wash your tub with bleach - before and after each bath (while child has abscess) and 1-2 times a week after.
• Wash all your clothes and linens with non-chlorine bleach.
• Change your child's linens once every couple of days while infected and once a week afterward.
• Never use a towel more than once. 
• Do not share towels.
• Use paper towels to dry hands instead of hand towels.
• Everyone in the family should wash their bodies with Dial Bar Soap.  (Only wash infant/toddler's diaper area with Dial.  Moisturize skin with lotion to prevent drying/cracking).

I am not a medical professional and by all means, I am not trying to give medical advice.  But unfortunately MRSA is becoming more and more common, especially with children in diapers.  While I was in the hospital with my daughter, there was a new infant/toddler patient every day that week for a staph infection.  So, I wanted to share my story with other parents out there that might be going through the same thing.  

I hope you and your child(ren) never have to go through the experience of having MRSA.  However, if you think it's a possibility contact your doctor right away!  For more information on MRSA here are some very informative sites:

• CDC - MRSA Infections
• CDC - MRSA in Schools
• CDC - MRSA and the Workplace
• WebMD - Understanding MRSA Infection