Endocarditis can be a life threatening complication of MRSA in which the infection causes inflammation in the lining of the heart, and its valves and chambers.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacteria resistant to antibiotics often used to treat staph infections. Endocarditis is inflammation of your heart’s inner lining.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about 2% of people have MRSA on their skin or in their nose. It often lives in these places without causing problems, but it can lead to serious infections if it enters your body through wounds.

Once MRSA is in your body, it can spread to other areas such as the:

  • heart
  • brain
  • blood
  • joints
  • lungs

MRSA most often causes a skin infection that appears as a swollen and painful bump. Endocarditis is a potentially life threatening complication of MRSA. The infection causes inflammation in the inner lining of your heart and its valves and chambers.

Read on to learn more about the connection between MRSA and endocarditis, including potential symptoms and how it’s treated.

Endocarditis is inflammation of the inner lining of your heart. “Endo” means inside and “carditis” means heart inflammation.

The most common cause of endocarditis is bacterial infections. In these diagnoses, it’s also referred to as infective endocarditis or bacterial endocarditis.

How MRSA spreads

MRSA is often found on your skin without causing problems. If your skin is penetrated, MRSA can enter and cause an infection. Most MRSA infections occur in your skin and are relatively minor. However, they have the potential to travel through your bloodstream to your other organs and cause serious complications.

Bacteria can enter your bloodstream in many ways, but some underlying causes include:

  • poor dental hygiene
  • rough tooth brushing
  • dental procedures
  • chronic skin disorders and infections
  • burns
  • infection elsewhere in the body
  • intravenous drug use

Anyone can develop MRSA infections, but these infections are particularly common in people who:

  • are undergoing prolonged hospitalization
  • are receiving care in an intensive care unit
  • are living in nursing homes
  • are living with a compromised immune system, such as those with HIV
  • have received invasive surgical procedures
  • are on hemodialysis

MRSA and endocarditis

MRSA or other bacteria that travel to your heart through your bloodstream can cause infectious endocarditis. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)bacteria, of which MRSA is one type, cause about 30% of infectious endocarditis diagnoses.

Endocarditis caused by MRSA is very serious and can be fatal in as many as a third of cases. It’s commonly associated with intravenous drug use or the use of an intravenous catheter.

Endocarditis caused by MRSA can also occur after receiving a heart valve replacement. Prosthetic valve endocarditis makes up about 20% of cases of infectious endocarditis. The mortality rate is as high as 80%.

The most common symptoms of endocarditis include:

Additional symptoms can include:

  • small red, purple, or brown skin called petechiae, which may be harder to see if you have darker skin
  • reddish-brown lines of blood under your nails
  • painful red lumps in the pads of your fingers and toes
  • painless red spots on your palms and soles
  • confusion
  • loss of appetite
  • unexpected weight loss

In a 2020 study, researchers examined 437 cases of endocarditis that S. aureus caused. The researchers found that 13.5% of cases were caused by MRSA. A greater prevalence of MRSA was seen among people experiencing:

MRSA can cause many complications, which can be medical emergencies, including:

It’s important to get medical attention right away if you develop potential symptoms of endocarditis. It’s also important to see a medical professional if you develop signs of an MRSA infection, such as a persistent wound that doesn’t heal.

Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines recommend the antibiotics vancomycin (Vancocin, Firvanq) and daptomycin (Cubicin and others) administered intravenously as the first treatment for MRSA with endocarditis.

The drug daptomycin (Cubicin, others) is often used when people can’t tolerate this drug.

You might need to take intravenous (IV) antibiotics for up to 6 weeks.

Your healthcare team may also recommend surgery to help clear away bacteria from the structures in your heart to prevent long-term heart damage or to repair tissue.

What organ is most affected by MRSA?

The skin is the most common organ affected by MRSA. Other common areas affected include bone and lungs.

What happens if MRSA gets in your heart?

MRSA can cause inflammation in the lining of your heart and may compromise your heart function. It can lead to life threatening complications.

What is the most severe disease that can result from MRSA?

MRSA can lead to sepsis if it gets into your bloodstream. Sepsis is an extreme immune reaction to an infection that can be life threatening.

MRSA is a type of staph bacteria that commonly lives on the skin and is resistant to many commonly used antibiotics. If MRSA enters your body, it can cause many serious problems like endocarditis.

Endocarditis caused by MRSA requires immediate emergency treatment to avoid potentially life threatening complications. The most common treatment is antibiotics administered through an IV.