A 21-year-old member asked:

Is there a test to see if i have mrsa or a staph infection

2 doctor answers4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Latisha Smith
Wound care 40 years experience
Yes: If a boil or abscess is present a specimen of the drainage or pus can be sent to the lab and a culture of the organisms is made. If staph aureus is grown on the culture then next it is grown on a culture with methicillin to see if the methicillin will inhibit growth of the staph. If growth not inhibited the staph aureus is methicillin .Resistant.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Emily Szewczyk
Family Medicine 22 years experience
Yes: A culture can identify the bacteria that is causing your infection. Staph and strep are common bacteria found with skin infections. After the lab identifies the bacteria that is causing your infection, testing is done to see which antibiotics would work best for your specific infection. Mrsa is a type of staph that is resistant to the drug methicillin, but other antibiotics are effective.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Similar questions

A 44-year-old member asked:

What to do for staph infection that might be mrsa?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Ronald Oberman
Podiatry 33 years experience
Get medical care: At minimum you will need antibiotics. Physician can assess and treat properly. Do not wait.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

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Last updated Apr 6, 2018
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