Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or more commonly known as MRSA, is a rapidly spreading disease that is affecting not only people in our hospitals, but in the general community as well. Overuse and inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics has ultimately lead to the evolution of pathogens, thus leading to antibiotic resistant bacteria, such as MRSA. Elderly patients tend to show the highest propensity to becoming diagnosed with MRSA compared to any other age group. Being in the medical field, nurses are routinely caring for the elderly therefore we should be aware of common disease processes and the proper ways to care for them and prevention management.
This bacteria is often colonized in the nares, but can also colonize in many other regions of the body. Given the opportunity, such as an open wound or an immunocompromised patient, this bacteria can progress rapidly and be difficult to treat. In extreme circumstances MRSA can lead to serious illnesses or even death. Strong aggressive antibiotics are still effective to treating MRSA, however the list of medications that the bacteria responds to, continues to shrink. Prevention is still the ideal treatment, however with current projections and without drastic measures this disease may likely progress to pandemic proportions. Without proper teaching to our patients and community, MRSA may continue to spread and evolve.
Choosing specific internet sources that have reliable information is very important when researching a topic. There are many online resources which provide information about choosing valid and reliable sites such as Berkeley’s website: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html Berkeley provides excellent information on what one should look for while scanning the website as well as domain names which may signify this site is invalid and unreliable. The internet is full of misinformation therefore being aware and knowing the proper techniques for detecting these are very important. I search for reliable authors with medical credentials such as physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. I also tend to search websites that listed in their domain name things such as .gov or .edu increasing the likelihood that the information from a reliable source. I avoid using personal websites and information older than 10 years. Databases that I was familiar with and even those that I was not are a great resource, I would search through their provided information to determine what they provided to the researchers. When reading through information, I am impressed and naturally pulled towards information that is backed by credible authors and/or institutions. Below are reliable resources and databases which were able to provide valid and useful information on the topic of MRSA.
Center for Disease Control
MRSA Infections. 2010. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/
The CDC is a very reliable source which was last updated in 2010 and is government backed. They are able to provide information such as signs, symptoms, definition, treatment and even statistics along with many other useful information. This website is intended for all ages from teens to elderly as well as patients and professional alike. This website is very easy to navigate through as well as easy to read.
PubMed
American Journal of Pathology. Titled: Toxin does not affect MRSA-induced Pneumonia. 2010. Retrieved from www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/ajop-tft022310.php
This particular resource was obtained from a database called PubMed.org This database is a well-known database which provides online reliable and well published journals in full text or pdf files. The link to the PubMed database is provided as well as the link which I found was a reliable source of information for this topic. This is aimed for a more professional audience with some medical background due to the medical terms used in the text.
Minnesota Department of Health
MRSA Basics. 2011.
Retrieved from http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/mrsa/basics.html
Department of Health websites should be a reliable source because this is a state backed website that is able to provide information to all ages. This website offers multiple hyperlinks which can redirect to related information that is extremely useful. These types of websites are always very helpful and able to provide local epidemic information of the researcher’s area.
Mayo Clinic
MRSA Infection. 2010.
Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735
The Mayo Clinic has been a very useful website which many people of all ages are able to use with ease. This site is an up to date website with the knowledge based from physicians, scientist and other Mayo Clinic staff. There are many hyperlinks which allow the researcher to scan through the website to see the basic, in-depth or even multimedia information therefore making this site for professional or individual use for teens to elders.
U.S Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health.
Antimicrobial (Drug) Resistence:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). 2011.
Retrieved from http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/antimicrobialresistance/examples/mrsa/pages/default.aspx
A very reliable database which is based around health and human services. This is a great starting platform to begin a disease research processes. Constantly reviewing their website to update their database and information, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services makes for a great medical-based database. They provide hyperlinks which are able to provide further information for any level investigator from novice to expert.
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). MRSA infection. 2007.
Retrieved from http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/298/15/1826
JAMA is an online website/database for medical information which may be also found in printed text. This is a great link of information which gears more toward the professional health field. Many article such as the one listed above are well researched, well written, and peer-reviewed by many talented authors whom are more than qualified to do so by the looks of their credentials. There are many great hyperlinks as well as tabs at the top of the page which allows the researcher to search newer articles, past issues and even collection articles.
There are many great databases and creditable websites on the internet, however determining the reliability and validity of these sources may be tricky, therefore thorough investigation must be done prior to considering any source in a research process.
