Skin infection and potential hospital admission

[Yourinmyspot]

I’ve had a skin infection on my hands and arms for months now. I’m on doxycycline daily and have been for a while. I’ve also had several courses of other antibiotics.

I had swabs done at the beginning of January that showed heavy growth of MRSA. It was resistant to quite a lot of antibiotics and I ended up on Linezolid for a week. My GP wanted to do swabs again once I’d finished them and my bloods. I had them done last Friday the day after I finished my antibiotics.

I had a phone call from my GP today who said three of the four swabs are still showing infection and MRSA, and they are all showing sensitivity to different antibiotics. He said my blood infection markers are up too. He said he’s going to speak to dermatology and I might need admitting for IV antibiotics to get rid of it once and for all. I’ve tried decolonisation treatment three times now and it just comes back.

Hospital seems overkill to me as I feel well in myself which I told my GP. Hopefully they can just prescribe some tablets.

But you've had tablets!

MRSA is multi-resistant so I guess they now want to hit it with whatever MRSA is not resistant to, rather then giving you more stuff that won't work.

Obviously it's not going to be your best ever holiday but it won't be suggested if they didn't think it would help.

Poor you though.

What a rubbish situation. Honestly will more tablets do anything? You're fine now until you're not. It must be really annoying and I hope they manage to find some treatment that works, I bet you're fed up by now

If they say you need hospital then you need the hospital. If tablets were doing the trick they’d have worked already. You’re not the doctor, they are. Why do you think you’re better qualified to know what you need? So listen to them.

It’s difficult to be admitted to hospital, they must really think there is a need. Don’t you feel you’ve tried everything possible so far without a hospital admission? Surely you want this infection under control and gone? Why are you reluctant to go into hospital for treatment?

You realize you’re a health risk to friends, family and anyone who visits your home.

If you did need IV, could they do outpatient antibiotic treatment often called OPAT?

I was thinking the same thing. If an infection on the skin gets into the blood that it can have serious consequences. Linizolid is not used very often and if the have escalated it to that drug already, getting iv antibiotics would seems a sensible next approach. When my son had a staph aurus pvl -ve infections the whole family had to use decolonisation treatment as its potential spread was taken very seriously.

Am hoping your GP is discussing your treatment with Microbiology - prescribing Linezolid suggests they have as generally it can only be prescribed with Microbiology clearance.

IV antibiotics are not necessarily stronger - it's about them being the right antibiotics for your infection not the route of delivery - and fingers crossed the Micro advice will still be managing this at home for you.

i’m not against going in at all if it gets rid of it once and for all I'm all for it. I am very careful with hygiene and keep away from vulnerable people. My skin is bandaged up too to try and minimise infecting anyone else. I had a look online and these were the results

If it’s in your bloodstream then it’s likely to cause sepsis which is very dangerous. You are likely to need intravenous antibiotics which do require hospital supervision

Do you have another health condition as you are also anaemic on those results? It looks as if the infection is affecting you more than you realise if you have almost got used to it being there.

Yes I’ve been anaemic for a while, I’ve had loads of investigations for it and I’m under haematology they have put it down to some medication I’m on and I’m on iron tablets now.

What is the other medication, and what is it for?

Wow @Yourinmyspot get on the bed and take the drip. Bygone ye disease.
It's great you're being heard. Put your feet up take your laptop, treats and readable materials.
Wishing you a full recovery 💐

Honestly as someone who has had similar and had to wait hours in A&E each time with horrible worry knowing every hour the infection was spreading, I would be right into hospital for the IV. Oddly it was a couple of really relaxing nights, meds and sleep, almost didn’t want leave and would have stayed for another night

If you did need IV, could they do outpatient antibiotic treatment often called OPAT?

Exactly what I was thinking. Do ask about this as seems the best way with the situation you describe.

My mother once had a horrible infection that was treated with iv antibiotics at home. It was multiple weeks of treatment, she was otherwise ambulatory and able to be an active participant in her care, and hospitalization would have exposed her to other risks. It still wasn’t pleasant, but at least she was at home and a bit more comfortable.

Have you been swabbed for PVL? (Panton Valentine Leucocidin) that can be MRSA or MSSA. Swab needs to be sent to porton down and dealt with through infection diseases.

If it comes to it I will ask about this.

Mycophenolate mofetil and it’s for my skin. They aren’t entirely sure what it is yet.

Yes they have tested for PVL, it was negative.