NORCROSS, Ga., Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Joe Jurevicius, Tom Brady, Peyton
Manning, Kellen Winslow. Unfortunately, during the past few months the list
of top professional football players affected by Staphylococcus Aureus,
commonly called staph, seems to read as a who's who of the National Football
League (NFL). Whether the source of these infections is healthcare facilities
where athletes are undergoing surgeries, locker rooms, or turf on the playing
fields, staph and its close relative Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus
Aureus or MRSA, have reared their ugly heads in the NFL again.
Although not a new trend, it is an alarming one as more and more athletes
miss multiple games due to these infections. As the number of cases of MRSA,
a type of staph infection that is resistant to many common antibiotics, has
increased in the community versus hospital settings, so have contact
sports-related infections. This is mostly due to how the infection is spread.
Staph and MRSA are usually spread from person-to-person through direct
skin contact or contact with shared items or surfaces such as towels, used
bandages, hot and cold tubs, or weight-training equipment surfaces that have
touched a person's infection. MRSA infections in the community are usually
manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils that are red, swollen
and painful. MRSA can be life threatening when it enters the body through
scrapes and scratches, potentially leading to blood and joint infections, and
pneumonia. In hospital-acquired MRSA, the infection usually enters the body
during a surgery or other open-wound procedure.
"All of us in the sports medicine profession know that protecting our
players from infections such as staph or MRSA are priorities," said Dean
Kleinschmidt, coordinator of athletic medicine/athletic trainer for the
Detroit Lions. "To do this, many of us have started very strict facility
cleaning procedures and provided our players with educational materials and
workshops that show them how they can also prevent it."
The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) recently posted information to its web
site about staph infections and MRSA provided by NFLPA Medical Director Dr.
Thom Mayer. This includes how players can lower their chances of contracting
staph such as:
-- Players need to have effective hygiene with equipment, which means
wiping down a training bench or table.
-- Make sure the trainer uses a germicidal foam and wipes down the table
between players.
-- Showering following whirlpool treatments.
-- The single most important thing for prevention is hand-washing with
soap and water, or if MRSA is known to be present, with chlorhexidene
(Hibiclens).
In addition to several other measures aimed at reducing the risk of
infection, cleansers with chlorhexidene gluconate (CHG) have been recommended
by medical organizations to be used prior to surgeries as a bathing agent,
specifically 4 percent CHG since it is more effective than iodine or plain
soap. The Centers for Disease Control also recommends that hospitals require
patients to shower or bathe with an antiseptic agent at least the night before
the operative day.
"Cleansers with 4 percent CHG cleanse the skin, but also add a barrier for
hours of protection," said Jack Doornbos, executive director, Molnlycke Health
Care, maker of Hibiclens(R) skin cleanser. "CHG has been used in hospitals
and operating rooms for decades to prevent the spread of infection. But now,
with MRSA and other resistant infections becoming more common in the community
and sports, it's been even more important to add protection, while not leaving
a residue that affects sports performance."
Infection risk can be even higher among amateur and recreation-level
athletes. This is due to the fact that many athletes at an amateur level
don't shower immediately after activities. For them, washing with a CHG
product such as Hibiclens, especially the hands and arms, before an activity
can dramatically reduce the risk of infection.
Hibiclens is an antimicrobial/antiseptic cleanser that kills germs on
contact and bonds with the skin to keep killing microorganisms for up to six
hours without leaving a residue. The same cleanser with alcohol is available
in convenient towelettes called Hibistat(R). Both are available at drug
stores and pharmacies in the first aid section. For more information about
Hibiclens, Hibistat or CHG, visit www.hibigeebies.com.
About Molnlycke Health Care US, LLC
Molnlycke Health Care US, LLC, consists of two divisions - Surgical and
Wound Care. Focusing on prevention of surgically-related infections for both
patients and healthcare workers, the Surgical Division (formerly Regent
Medical Americas, LLC) encompasses the world's leading manufacturer and
supplier of powder-free surgical gloves (Biogel(R) surgical gloves); the
number one supplier (by value) of skin cleanser (Hibiclens(R) and Hibistat(R)
antiseptics); and BARRIER(R) protective clothing. A leader in trauma and pain
management, the Wound Care Division's market dynamics are driven by an aging
population, higher incidence of pressure ulcers and increased home treatment.
