Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or MRSA

[Papa Gee]

I've been doing work on a client for about nine months and recently he called me and told me he had gotten poison ivy on his new tattoo on his arm. Well it spread all over his forearm and got really nasty so he went to the hospital to get it checked out. The doctor there diagnosed his problem as a staph infection..Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. Or MRSA. Once common to hospital patients who had had surgery it has spread into the general public. Most commonly found in IV drug users. Now I know for a fact that my friend dont shoot drugs. He's a recovering alcoholic and drug addict with 7 years of sobriety.

However, he's been seeing a girl who is heavily involved in shooting ICE or crank. He mentioned to me that she has open sores on her arms like the ones he has. She's also told him that she has Hepatitus C. Apparently he has been exposed to staph bacteria by being in close proximity to her (screwing around sleeping together). This stuff is highly contagious. He brought me a sheet given to him by his treating physician.


The doctor assumed that since he had fresh tattoo work on his arm that he had contracted the infection as a result of an improperly applied tattoo. I dont think my client volunteered the information that his girlfriend is a diseased junkie.

I have fresh ink on my right forearm that was done in the same period of three days that he had his done. I have no infection at all. Needless to say this has scared the shit out of me. I've reviewed all my procedures to see if I've missed anything. And doubled up on my before and after cleaning procedures.

In all the reading and studying I've done on CC I've never read anything about MRSA. Everything I've read to date has related to HIV, Hepatitus A or B. Have any of y'all ever had any experience with this?

I plan to do some serious research on this topic and will post as much information as I can find.

[Papa Gee]

Here is a good read. I dont think I'll ever sleep again.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/ARESIST/ca_mrsa_public.htm

[Preacher]

Hello,
You should only be using one needle per customer. So you should be ok if you do this. I have had i person get a staph infection on me but it was three to four day after the tattoo was finished. she worked in the health care profession and had fellow staff members appling the A&D. The were not washing there hand and they were appling the ointment every ten min.
She went to the doc and he told her that it was nothing i did but what she was doing in the aftercare proccess. Make sure and keep plastic bags on everything and do not reuse needles. Make sure you are sterilizing tubes or using single use tubes. :D

[Papa Gee]

From what I've read, CA-MRSA is most commonly spread by skin to skin contact. I'm confident that my tattoo work was not the source of his infection. But it's really scary to think that 30% of the general population are carriers of staph and 1% of the population are carriers of MRSA. I was reading on a MRSA forum last night where entire families have contracted the infection through casual contact.

I would never use a needle more than once. Everything I do is with disposable tubes and needles. I have a couple of friends that want me to set them up a tattoo kit from old stuff that I have. The reason I havent done this is because I dont feel that they would adhere to any guidelines at all concerning CC. I'm sure they would reuse needles and tubes and I wouldnt want that on my consience when I try to sleep at night.

[Preacher]

Hello,
That is a really good idea. Some people think they can just tattoo but it is like no other job. There are alot of things you need to learn before you can start tattooing. Beware of the scratcher. :D

[framey]

:evil:

[deebo]

yeah, i lost sum1 because of mrsa here!!! :(

[Preacher]

Hello,
This is one reason we have to educate ourselves and our client on the proper CC and the aftercare. :idea: :D

[sniper]

very educational! great post.
i use a medical grade hard surface disinfectant when in the clean-up stage. its called viralex, though i'm sure there are a hundred different types. my trolly, my spray guns, the seat, clipcord and tattoo machines are all sprayed down and let sit for 3 minutes to kill all nasties...

[Preacher]

Hello,
I use a bleach mixture because it kills just about everything. I spay down everything and let it sit then wipe it all down. :D

[jadia]

MRSA tends to effect the ill the elderly and anyone with a low immunity. I only know that from working in the healthcare field, I worked in a nursing home until we moved. I was always told to use universal precautions, gown, glove, mask. But then that was also in a nursing home where an aide has contact with ten or more people at least at a time. MRSA can be spread by as simple as someone who has it sneezing on you or picking up something someone who is infected has touched without hand washing. From what I was told when I worked as an aide if you maintain proper handwashing technique and procedures it lessens the chances of spread or contracting but it is hard to tell if someone is infected or not because everyone's immune system works differently. And at least here in Canada, being tested for MRSA is a simple swab, but then there is always the question with all the things floating around in the world these days how many people carry something and don't know it because it doesn't affect them and MRSA is one of those antibiotic resistant things that can affect one and leave the next person as just a carrier. All we can do is the best we can at protecting ourselves, our families and our clients. Just my little input :roll:

[Essex Boy]

???

[Valdar]

heres some more info on MSRA.

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/biol_hazards/methicillin.html

[Papa Gee]

This happened a while back. My client has healed up completely and we've done more work on his sleeve. Apparently the so called doctor who treated him wasnt very concerned with the fact that MRSA is killing people all over the world. He basically prescribed antibiotics and sent him on his way. Not a lot of concern on his part.

At the time that my client informed me that he had staph infection I went back to square one and reviewed all of my CC control procedures. Also I have a lot of ink in my own skin from the same bottles done in the same period of time that his tattoos were done. I've had no problem nor has any other client that I've worked on.

MRSA here in the US is kind of like a silent epidemic. It's everywhere and is being compounded by the ever growing number of people addicted to methamphetamines. The CDC in Atlanta gives some decent information on it but dosent seem to treat it as much more than a nuisance disease.

However I have another client who's babysitter was a teenaged girl who got addicted to meth. She had ingrown hairs under her arms and did not seek medical treatment for it. They became infected and compounded into MRSA because her immune system was whacked. She's now lying in a hospital bed and is basically brain dead. Her folks havent resigned themselves to the fact that she's not coming back. They will not release the hospital to disconnect her from life support.

[Essex Boy]

???

[timmy]

the more info the better,thak-you very much.