Kids' Health Common Childhood Infections Staph Skin Infections and MRSA By Vincent Iannelli, MD facebook Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years. Learn about our editorial process Vincent Iannelli, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Jonathan B. Jassey, DO on January 24, 2020 facebook Jonathan B. Jassey, DO, is board-certified in pediatrics. He has been in private practice at Bellmore Merrick Medical in New York since 2007 and is the co-author of "The Newborn Sleep Book." Learn about our Medical Review Board Jonathan B. Jassey, DO on January 24, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Types MRSA Diagnosis Treatment Prevention Staph is a shorthand way to talk about the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which is a common cause of skin infections. Staph can also cause other infections throughout the body. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a concern because it does not respond to many antibiotics used for Staph. Verywell / Kelly Miller Types of Staph Skin Infections The symptoms of a staph skin infection depend on where the infection is. The staph bacteria can cause: Boils: An abscess within the skin, also called a furuncleCellulitis: A localized skin infection which can make the skin red, painful, and warmFolliculitis: An infection of hair folliclesImpetigo: Causes blisters (bullous impetigo) or honey-colored crusted lesions on the skinParonychia: An infection of the skin folds of the nails In addition to skin infections, staph bacteria can cause: Bacteremia: A blood infectionDeep abscesses: A collection of pus somewhere inside the bodyEndocarditis: An infection of the valves of the heartFood poisoning: Typically from toxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus in raw milk and cheese and other high-risk foodsLymphadenitis: An infection of a lymph gland, which causes it to be red, swollen, and painfulLymphangitis: An infection of the lymph channels that drain to lymph glands, causing red streaks in the skinOsteomyelitis: A bone infectionScalded skin syndrome: Can lead to blistering skin that appears scalded and peels awaySeptic arthritis: An infection of a joint, like the hip or kneeStyes: An infection of the glands on the eyelidToxic shock syndrome: Classically associated with tampon use The Staphylococcus aureus bacteria can also less commonly cause other infections, including pneumonia, ear infections, and sinusitis. MRSA MRSA is an acronym for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria that has become resistant to many antibiotics, including methicillin, penicillin, amoxicillin, and cephalosporins. It is routinely pronounced M.R.S.A., not MUR-SA. Although once limited to hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities, MRSA infections are now very common among healthy children and adults in the community. Unfortunately, some staph infections, especially invasive MRSA infections, can be deadly. This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. See Photo MRSA. Jodi Jacobson / Getty Images A pediatrician will likely suspect that an infection, such as a leg abscess, is caused by MRSA if it isn't improving with routine antibiotics. In that case, the abscess may need to be drained or your child would need to be changed to a stronger or different antibiotic to treat the infection. Diagnosis Talk to your pediatrician if you think that your child might have a staph infection or if you are concerned about MRSA. The diagnosis of most skin infections is made by the pattern of symptoms and physical exam findings. It is not usually possible to know whether the infection is caused by staph or a bacteria like group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes). In often doesn't matter, as the antibiotic prescribed will likely treat either bacteria. To make a definitive diagnosis and to confirm that staph is the bacteria causing the infection, a culture can be done. Once a bacteria is identified in a culture, the pattern on sensitivities to antibiotics can help to tell whether or not it is actually MRSA, routine S. aureus, or another bacteria. Treatment Antistaphylococcal antibiotics are the usual treatments for staph infections. This may include a topical antibiotic cream (Bactroban, Altabax, etc.) for simple impetigo, warm compresses, and drainage for abscesses, an oral antibiotic, or an intravenous antibiotic for more serious or persistent infections. Commonly used oral antistaphylococcal antibiotics include the first-generation cephalosporins like Keflex (cephalexin) and Duricef (cefadroxil). As resistance to antibiotics is now common among staph bacteria, including MRSA, the first antibiotic prescribed may not work. Many of these community-acquired MRSA infections can still be treated with oral antibiotics, though, such as clindamycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX or Bactrim). Zyvox (linezolid) is a newer antibiotic used to treat complicated skin and soft tissue infections, including MRSA, in children. It is rather expensive though and is prescribed when other antibiotics either aren't working or the staph bacteria is known to be resistant to other more commonly used antibiotics, such as Bactrim and clindamycin. More serious and multi-drug resistant MRSA can usually be treated in the hospital with the antibiotic vancomycin and/or surgical drainage. Although it can be uncomfortable for your child, having your pediatrician drain an abscess can be the best way to get rid of the infection. Prevention Things to know about how staph infections and MRSA spread and may be prevented include: The S. aureus bacteria commonly live on or colonizes the skin of children and adults. It is especially common to find it in the nose, which can make it easily spread as children pick their nose.MRSA has become more common. It is thought that up to 2% of people are colonized with the MRSA bacteria.To get rid of staph colonization, it can sometimes help to treat all family members with mupirocin (Bactroban) nasal gel twice a day for 5-7 days, have everyone take weekly Hibiclens or bleach baths, keep all wounds covered, and encourage very frequent handwashing.Keep bites, scrapes, and rashes clean and covered to prevent them from getting infected by the staph bacteria.Encourage kids to avoid sharing towels, razors, sports equipment, and other personal items at school and in the locker room, where spreading staph infections seems to be common. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Hodille E, Rose W, Diep BA, Goutelle S, Lina G, Dumitrescu O. The Role of Antibiotics in Modulating Virulence in Staphylococcus aureus. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2017;30(4):887-917. doi:10.1128/CMR.00120-16 Hassoun A, Linden PK, Friedman B. Incidence, prevalence, and management of MRSA bacteremia across patient populations-a review of recent developments in MRSA management and treatment. Crit Care. 2017;21(1):211. doi:10.1186/s13054-017-1801-3 Li J, Zhao QH, Huang KC, et al. Linezolid vs. vancomycin in treatment of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections: A meta-analysis. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2017;21(17):3974-3979. Huang SS, Singh R, Mckinnell JA, et al. Decolonization to reduce postdischarge infection risk among MRSA carriers. N Engl J Med. 2019;380(7):638-650. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1716771 Additional Reading Klevens RM, Morrison MA, Nadle J, et al. Invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in the United States. JAMA. 2007;298(15):1763-1771. doi:10.1001/jama.298.15.1763 Nicolle L. Community-acquired MRSA: a practitioner's guide. CMAJ. 2006;175(2):145. doi:10.1503/cmaj.060457 Diagnosis of MRSA. Cohen & Powderly: Infectious Diseases, 2nd ed.