Staph infections plague ERs

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, staph infections are on the rise in the nation's emergency departments. Researchers found that drug-resistant staph infections accounted for 59 percent of skin infections seen in the ER. The infection resembles a spider bite that won't heal and can progress into necrotizing or toxic-shock syndrome, both of which can be fatal. An editorial accompanying the NEJM article recommends draining the infection rather than treating it with antibiotics (as it's drug-resistant) and effective treatment may vary.

- see this Los Angeles Times report

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