Maybe you’re working in a factory line when you accidentally cut your hand. It’s just a scratch, so you think nothing of it. Maybe you’re in the less-than-clean breakroom of your job when you scrape your arm on the table. It’s just a little scrape, so you bandage it and forget it.
Unfortunately, that scratch or scrape can lead to a deadly staph infection that – left untreated – can eventually lead to major illness, the loss of limbs or even death.
What’s a staph infection?
“Staph” is a common term that’s applied to bacterial infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, and they’re extremely common.
Often, these infections can be treated through topical means. You may not have to resort to oral antibiotics if the wound is minor and you catch the staph infection before it gets any deeper. Untreated, however, any staph infection has the potential to spread through a victim’s bloodstream and turn septic, which can become fatal.
Worse, some staph infections are automatically harder to handle. Known commonly as “MRSA,” these are methicillin-resistant infections. That means the “go-to” antibiotics that doctors use for these infections are useless.
When you encounter this kind of staph infection, extreme medical intervention and a cocktail of drugs may be required to save your life. Some of the MRSA strains also cause a condition called necrotizing fasciitis, which has been dubbed a “flesh-eating” bacteria because of the way it destroys the affected body parts.
What’s the big thing to remember here?
Treat every workplace injury seriously if your skin is compromised – even if it’s just a tiny cut, a small scratch, a scraped knee or a little puncture wound. Prompt medical attention is essential.
If you’ve suffered a devastating loss of limb or your loved one has died from a workplace-acquired staph infection, you do have legal options. Find out more today.