During his time with MMAjunkie.com, medical consultant and columnist Dr. Johnny Benjamin has written about a variety of topics related to combat sports.
But few topics mandate as much coverage and knowledge sharing as staph and other skin infections.
In his latest "Ask the Fight Doc" installment, Dr. Benjamin again shines the light on this important topic and lists some precautions that fighters of all levels should know to prevent camp-crippling outbreaks.
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Why are so many fighters being sidelined by staph skin infections? - Anonymous
Skin infections are very common and prompt 12 million to 14 million people to seek medical care per year in the U.S. alone.
In the arenas of combat and contact sports, I suggest there aren't enough fighters being sidelined.
We've seen a recent rash (no pun intended) of MMA athletes dropped from upcoming fights due to staph ("Staphylococcus aureus") skin infections. But we've also witnessed main-event fighters continuing to compete with obvious skin issues (Matt Hamil and Chael Sonnen, for example).
Prevention, early detection, constant vigilance and erring on the side of caution by quickly quarantining a fighter or gym are fundamental to properly combating this national (and increasingly global) epidemic. Unfortunately, proper skin, locker-room and mat hygiene are met with a complacent attitude not unlike buckling one's seatbelt or wearing a helmet when riding a motorcycle.
But, the primary difference with staph skin infections - as opposed to seatbelt or helmet use - is that you are putting others at risk in addition to yourself.
If you want to endanger yourself, that's one thing. But who gives you the right to endanger others?
I've written extensively on the common staph and its more dangerous cousin, the MRSA skin infections. But it appears that this is a topic that needs a bit more attention.
MRSA (methicillin-resistant staph aureus) is a super-bug (bacteria) that is not susceptible to common first-line antibiotics. The common version of this bacteria (staph aureus) is normally found almost everywhere (check your nose) and usually not a big deal for young healthy people. But due to the overuse of antibiotics, the common version got smart and mutated to a strain that - as you can see - is very aggressive, easily transmitted by contact, and hard to treat.
Unfortunately, just attacking MRSA with bigger guns (stronger antibiotics) gives it a chance to one day mutate into a "Godzilla" for which we may have no answer. So as doctors, we would prefer to stop its spread and contain it rather than treat it.
Wrestling (including all common grappling styles in MMA, Brazilian jiu jitsu, etc.) gyms are the perfect breeding grounds, and thus, they are ground zero. These facilities are usually kept very warm, have sweaty mats from intense training, and by definition, require close sustained bodily contact. In this setting, a scrape, pimple or simple hair bump can go bad very quickly.
What can we do to protect ourselves?
Shower with anti-bacterial soap (Dial) immediately after practice (a bit controversial but currently the CDC standard). Do not wait until you get home. Practice good mat hygiene.
Additionally, the mat and all surfaces, including equipment, should be mopped or wiped down before and after each practice with a mild, diluted Clorox solution (or other appropriate widely available antibacterial cleaning solution) then be allowed to dry thoroughly. Once dry the mat should then be mopped with clean water to remove any residue.
Also, every gym should maintain multiple, readily available dispensers of hand sanitizer and encourage/mandate its use. (If you must ask someone for it, then it's not readily available.) Last but not least, develop a fetish about checking your skin for any type of scrape, scratch, bump or insect bite.
Now, here is the issue that fans, fighters and training facilities hate the most: quarantine. Fighters should have their skin inspected daily by someone with properly trained eyes. If there is any question whatsoever, the fighter must be barred from use of the training facility or competition until the lesion can be thoroughly evaluated. If there is a cluster of skin lesions in a training facility, the gym must close and undergo a thorough professional cleaning (with strong disinfectants, steam cleaners, etc.).
Remember, a day or two out of the gym is far better than a multi-person outbreak wreaking havoc on an entire camp or having your fight and payday canceled. I'll bet that many of the guys who got pulled or should have been pulled from a fight due to a skin infection ignored the rash or lesion for days - and so did their teammates.
If some of the biggest names who fight under the biggest banner and train at the most prestigious centers are falling prey to staph skin infections, just for a moment try to imagine what's going on at your local gym.
As they say in the fight game: Protect yourself at all times.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=Am5Xm9q94vyRxoBzmsQiAig9Eo14?slug=mmajunkie-Fight_Doc_Staph_Still_Problem
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