is antibiotic needed

[quadro]

my mother was diagnosed with mrsa in her eyes, she was cultured and it came back positive . they gave her antibiotics by iv in the hospital, and sent her home with ciprofloxacin drops for her eyes. her eyes were red and swollen when she was diagnosed with this. all this went away for about a month. now it is back. im worried the mrsa is active again.  does she need more antibiotics. i know mrsa is resistant to most antibiotics, but shouldnt you try them to see if they will work?

[quadro]

i feel the same way about the physician. thank you for your information.

[caregiver222]

The question about "resistance" is ambiguous.

I am not a happy camper about the attitude taken by the physicians towards your mother's illness. It appears they have written her off.

There are several treatment options, including gamma globulin, which is very expensive. You need to find a physician that will take an interest in your mother.

Once these infections get established in the bloodstream it is difficult, if not impossible to get rid of them. Poor hospital infection control protocols are the main reason.

Yes, the infection is contagious, and you should wear gloves at all times. Your mother should be dressed in light colored clothing and white socks that can be disinfected with bleach added to the laundry detergent. You should purchase an air sterilizer for the room, to include an ultraviolet disinfection light.

[quadro]

my mother did in fact contact mrsa, we think through insertion of a catherter ,while she was admitted in the hospital.  she was treated for that about a year ago. she probably did spread it to her eyes through rubbing them. the eye was cultured,and her doctor said the infection was resistant to the ciprofloxacin. he called a few days after he wrote the prescription and said we could put it in her eyes if we wanted to but it probably wouldnt help. her doctor says theres nothing you can do for the mrsa. my question is, shouldnt you try.? my sister an i take care of mother because she has alzheimers. i worry about contracting this infection as i know it is contagious. i just cant see anyone having an infection and not trying to treat it. wont it just keep spreading?

[caregiver222]

You are speaking half-truths. MRSA is susceptible to all antibiotics to varying degrees.  Most likely the antibiotic was prematurely discontinued, or she has an infection elsewhere and reinfected herself when she rubbed her eye.

Similarly helibactor pylori requres administration of three different antibiotics (tripple therapy) to eliminate the infection in the stomach from this troublesome organism.

I am in no position to recommend treatment for your mother's eye infection, but it would be reasonable and prudent to continue antibiotic treatment with one or more antibiotics.