Staphylococcus epidermidis Infection

What is Staphylococcus epidermidis Infection?

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a type of bacteria that doesn’t cause blood to clot and carries a chemical signature of being positive for gram stain tests. This bacteria forms groups and also creates an enzyme called catalase, which can thrive in both oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor environments. They are most commonly found living harmlessly on human skin.

Oftentimes, these types of bacteria enter the human body through artificial body parts, such as prosthetic limbs, leading to a low amount of these microbes entering the bloodstream from the device. The bacteria can then create a slimy layer known as a biofilm, which helps them resist attacks from the body’s immune system or antibiotics.

It’s thought that Staphylococcus epidermidis is one of the most common causes of hospital-acquired infections. The rates of infection with this bacterium are as high as those with Staphylococcus aureus, another type of bacteria.

What Causes Staphylococcus epidermidis Infection?

Staphylococcus epidermidis is normally a harmless bacteria that naturally exists on our bodies. However, this bacteria can cause illness if it gets inside the body, often through medical and artificial devices like prosthetics.

This bacteria, alongside other similar types, can lead to a condition known as bacteremia – an infection in the blood – mainly brought on by contamination of medical devices implanted in the body. In simple terms, the bacteria from our skin can take hold of these devices and find their way into our bloodstream.

Risk Factors and Frequency for Staphylococcus epidermidis Infection

Staphylococcus epidermidis, a type of bacteria, is one of the main culprits behind hospital-acquired blood infections. People with artificial heart valves, heart devices, central lines, catheters, and those who use intravenous drugs are particularly prone to these infections. Newborn babies are also at high risk.

Signs and Symptoms of Staphylococcus epidermidis Infection

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a type of bacteria that can cause various infections in humans. These infections can be localized, affecting only one part of the body, or systemic, spreading throughout the body. Some of the most common diseases caused by this bacteria are outlined below.

Intravascular Catheter Infections: This type of infection often happens when the bacteria move from the patient’s skin to the surface of the catheter. It can cause inflammation, redness, or pus around the catheter’s insertion site. Systemic symptoms like fever, low blood pressure, and other sepsis signs may also be present.
Infectious Endocarditis: Staphylococcus epidermidis is a common cause of this heart valve infection. Patients may experience symptoms like fever, chills, fatigue, night sweats, and difficulty breathing. Physical exam might reveal heart murmurs, tiny red or purple spots on the skin (petechiae), or small lines under the nails (splinter hemorrhages). Other less common signs include reddish or purplish skin patches (Janeway lesions), painful lumps under the skin (Osler nodes), and red spot in the eye surrounded by pale area (Roth spots).
Cardiac Devices, Prosthetic Joints, and CNS Shunt Infection: This bacteria can cause infections related to medical devices like cardiac devices, orthopedic devices, and CNS shunts. Signs of infection can include redness, pain, pus around the site of the device, and sepsis. Patients with prosthetic joint infection may experience pain and pus around the insertion site. For CNS shunt infection, the patient may have no symptoms or may experience headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and changes in mental state.

Testing for Staphylococcus epidermidis Infection

If your doctor suspects that an infection is linked to a catheter you have, they’ll conduct a blood test before starting you on antibiotics. This would involve taking blood samples from both a vein in your arm and from near the catheter. This procedure is important in order to obtain reliable results.

Since blood tests can sometimes pick up harmless bacteria called coagulase-negative staphs, doctors often look for two or more positive blood tests to make sure any infection detected isn’t a false alarm.

If you are experiencing symptoms that suggest you might have endocarditis, which is an infection of the heart’s inner lining, your doctor will likely order blood tests and an echocardiogram. To be thorough, they’ll typically collect blood samples at least three times from different veins in your arms.

An echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to create pictures of your heart, is a key tool for diagnosing endocarditis. First, you’ll have a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), where the device is moved over your chest. This test is good but not perfect – it catches about 75 out of 100 real cases and it hardly ever gives false alarms.

If the TTE doesn’t provide a clear enough picture and your doctor still suspect you have endocarditis, then a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) may be next. This is a more involved procedure in which a small probe is inserted down your esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach) to capture more detailed images of your heart.

Treatment Options for Staphylococcus epidermidis Infection

The treatment for an infection caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis, a type of bacteria, depends on how severe the infection is and where in the body it is located. In cases where the infection has spread throughout the body, medication is usually given through an IV, or intravenous line, rather than by mouth.

It’s important to note that over 80% of these kinds of staph bacteria are resistant to a class of antibiotics called methicillin. Because of this, doctors often choose to first treat Staphylococcus epidermidis infections with an antibiotic called vancomycin, which is delivered through an IV. This is done under the assumption that the bacteria are likely to be resistant to methicillin.

If later testing shows that the bacteria causing the infection are not resistant to methicillin, then the treatment can be switched to a different class of antibiotics, known as beta-lactams. Nafcillin and oxacillin are two examples of these types of antibiotics.

The length of treatment can vary and depends on how the patient is responding to the treatment. In some cases, if there’s a medical implant (like an artificial hip or heart valve) that’s found to be the source of the infection, it might need to be removed to fully control the infection.

Bacteremia, or blood infection, could be due to a variety of causes, which include:

Staphylococcus aureus infection
Infection with other coagulase-negative staph bacteria (these are bacteria that can’t produce the enzyme coagulase)
Infection with Gram-negative bacteria (these are bacteria that don’t retain the Gram stain)
Streptococcal species infection
Septic thrombophlebitis, or inflammation of a vein due to a blood clot that becomes infected
Viral infection
Osteomyelitis, or bone infection
Culture negative endocarditis, a heart infection that does not show up on culture tests

What to expect with Staphylococcus epidermidis Infection

The chances of recovery largely depend on the type of infection and the patient’s other health conditions at the time of infection. For example, in newborn babies who have a low birth weight, deaths due to a specific kind of infection called S. epidermidis sepsis can be as high as 4.8% and 9.4%. If a patient has a certain heart infection known as coagulase-negative staph endocarditis, the death rate can reach up to 36%.

Possible Complications When Diagnosed with Staphylococcus epidermidis Infection

Sepsis and septic shock are potentially deadly complications that can happen due to infections related to catheters. The death rate for septic shock can range from 20 to 30%. Infections in artificial or natural heart valves can lead to serious complications such as septic emboli (blood clots caused by an infection), mycotic aneurysm (a blood vessel bulge due to infection), perivalvular abscess (infection around the valve area) and heart failure.

List of Potential Complications:

Sepsis
Septic shock
Septic emboli
Mycotic aneurysm
Perivalvular abscess
Heart failure
Potential death

Preventing Staphylococcus epidermidis Infection

If a patient is going to have a procedure or surgery that includes putting in a medical tool or fake body part, they should be taught about the chance of getting an infection from a bacteria called Staphylococcus epidermidis. Understanding the usual signs and symptoms of this infection can help patients seek medical assistance more quickly. Getting treatment faster can lower the risk of serious health problems and complications related to the infection.

Frequently asked questions

Staphylococcus epidermidis infection is a type of infection caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis. It is one of the most common causes of hospital-acquired infections and can enter the body through artificial body parts, leading to the formation of a slimy layer called a biofilm.

Staphylococcus epidermidis infection is common, especially among people with medical devices implanted in their bodies.

Signs and symptoms of Staphylococcus epidermidis infection can vary depending on the specific type of infection. However, some common signs and symptoms include: - Inflammation, redness, or pus around the insertion site of an intravascular catheter infection. - Systemic symptoms such as fever, low blood pressure, and other sepsis signs may also be present in intravascular catheter infections. - Symptoms of infectious endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis can include fever, chills, fatigue, night sweats, and difficulty breathing. - Physical examination findings in infectious endocarditis may include heart murmurs, tiny red or purple spots on the skin (petechiae), or small lines under the nails (splinter hemorrhages). - Other less common signs of infectious endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis can include reddish or purplish skin patches (Janeway lesions), painful lumps under the skin (Osler nodes), and red spots in the eye surrounded by a pale area (Roth spots). - Infections related to cardiac devices, prosthetic joints, and CNS shunts can present with signs such as redness, pain, and pus around the site of the device. - Sepsis can also occur in these infections. - Patients with prosthetic joint infection may experience pain and pus around the insertion site. - For CNS shunt infection, the patient may have no symptoms or may experience headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and changes in mental state.

Staphylococcus epidermidis infection can occur through contamination of medical devices implanted in the body, such as prosthetics, catheters, and cardiac devices. It can also be acquired through intravenous drug use or in newborn babies.

The doctor needs to rule out the following conditions when diagnosing Staphylococcus epidermidis infection: 1. Staphylococcus aureus infection 2. Infection with other coagulase-negative staph bacteria (bacteria that can't produce the enzyme coagulase) 3. Infection with Gram-negative bacteria (bacteria that don't retain the Gram stain) 4. Streptococcal species infection 5. Septic thrombophlebitis, or inflammation of a vein due to a blood clot that becomes infected 6. Viral infection 7. Osteomyelitis, or bone infection 8. Culture negative endocarditis, a heart infection that does not show up on culture tests

The types of tests needed for Staphylococcus epidermidis infection include: - Blood tests: These are conducted to detect the presence of the bacteria and determine the severity of the infection. Multiple blood samples may be taken from different veins to ensure accurate results. - Echocardiogram: This imaging test is used to diagnose endocarditis, an infection of the heart's inner lining. A transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) is typically performed first, followed by a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) if necessary for more detailed images of the heart. - Antibiotic susceptibility testing: This test is done to determine if the bacteria causing the infection are resistant to methicillin, a common antibiotic. If the bacteria are resistant, treatment with vancomycin is usually initiated. If later testing shows that the bacteria are not resistant to methicillin, the treatment can be switched to beta-lactam antibiotics.

The treatment for a Staphylococcus epidermidis infection depends on the severity and location of the infection. In cases where the infection has spread throughout the body, medication is usually given through an IV. Initially, doctors often choose to treat these infections with an antibiotic called vancomycin, delivered through an IV, as over 80% of these staph bacteria are resistant to methicillin. If later testing shows that the bacteria are not resistant to methicillin, the treatment can be switched to a different class of antibiotics called beta-lactams. The length of treatment varies and may involve removing any medical implants that are the source of the infection.

The potential complications when treating Staphylococcus epidermidis infection include: - Sepsis - Septic shock - Septic emboli (blood clots caused by an infection) - Mycotic aneurysm (a blood vessel bulge due to infection) - Perivalvular abscess (infection around the valve area) - Heart failure - Potential death

The prognosis for Staphylococcus epidermidis infection depends on the type of infection and the patient's other health conditions at the time of infection. In newborn babies with a low birth weight, deaths due to a specific kind of infection called S. epidermidis sepsis can be as high as 4.8% and 9.4%. If a patient has coagulase-negative staph endocarditis, the death rate can reach up to 36%.

You should see an infectious disease specialist for Staphylococcus epidermidis infection.

Infectious Disease Nosocomial Infections Prosthetic Devices