Staph Infection vs. Infected Staff

Hibiclens Soap

Q:

About 1 week ago, I developed a red bump on my thigh that became painful, and swollen.  I went to see a doctor at an urgent care and was told it was a “staff” infection.  He put me on “cephalexin” and it has gotten worse.  Any ideas?

A:

I had a patient who told me he thought “staff” infections came from the staff working at the ER.  No!  Staph refers to staphylococcus aureas, which is a bacteria that can infect many areas of the body, but the skin is its favorite.  When it infects the skin, it can cause an abscess.  Unfortunately, because of the widespread use of antibiotics, many staph infections are now resistant to antibiotics including cephalexin.  Most ER doctors are seeing drug resistant staph infections daily.  If an abscess has formed, it may need to be drained to allow the pus to get out.  A culture of the infected fluid can be obtained at that time.  I recommend you get a second opinion about this problem.  If in fact you have a staph infection, appropriate antibiotics that have activity against the staphylococcus bacteria can be prescribed.  Additionally, I often prescribe a powerful skin soap called to decontaminate the skin.  Proper hygiene and hand washing is critical to treating staphylococcus and preventing its spread.