MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant in Spanish

What it means

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is a staph germ (bacteria) that does not get better with the type of antibiotics that usually cure staph infections; when this occurs, the germ is said to be resistant to certain antibiotics. MedlinePlus describes two types of infection: hospital-associated MRSA happens to people in health care settings, and community-associated MRSA happens to people who have close skin-to-skin contact with others. A sign of a staph skin infection is a red, swollen, and painful area on the skin, which may look like a boil. MRSA infection in people who are in health care facilities tends to be severe. MedlinePlus says the only way to know for sure whether an infection is MRSA or staph is to see a provider and be tested.

MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) in Spanish

Spanish term: MRSA (Staphylococcus aureus resistente a la meticilina)
Gender and article: masculine: el MRSA (el Staphylococcus aureus resistente a la meticilina)
Pronunciation: EH-meh EH-rreh EH-seh AH (ehs-tah-fee-loh-KOH-koos OW-reh-oos rreh-sees-TEHN-teh ah lah meh-tee-see-LEE-nah)

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
SARM	General	The Spanish abbreviation: the entry of the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary, also used by MedlinePlus en español, which explains it as "SARM (MRSA en inglés)".
Staphylococcus aureus resistente a meticilina	General	Full name without the article la, as the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia writes it.
Staphylococcus aureus meticilinorresistente	General	Listed by the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia among the alternative names.
SARMT	General	Abbreviation given by the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary as another name.

The headword keeps the English abbreviation MRSA and adds the Spanish full name. The Spanish abbreviation is SARM: MedlinePlus en español explains it as SARM (MRSA en inglés), and the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary enters the term under SARM, adding that it is also called MRSA, SARMT and Staphylococcus aureus resistente a la meticilina. The MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia writes the full name without the article, Staphylococcus aureus resistente a meticilina, and lists Staphylococcus aureus meticilinorresistente among its alternative names.

For the germ, the encyclopedia uses the masculine: el SARM es un microbio estafilocócico. The MedlinePlus en español topic page uses the feminine when it names the two types of infection, la SARM hospitalaria and la SARM adquirida en la comunidad. Related words on those pages are estafilococo (staph), resistente (resistant), antibióticos (antibiotics), forúnculo (boil) and colonización, the word the encyclopedia uses when staph is on the skin without causing an infection or symptoms.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	The lab test shows that the infection is MRSA.	La prueba de laboratorio muestra que la infección es por MRSA.
Patient	What does MRSA mean?	¿Qué quiere decir MRSA?
Clinician	It is a staph germ that is resistant to certain antibiotics.	Es un estafilococo que es resistente a ciertos antibióticos.
Patient	I have a red, swollen, painful area on my leg, and pus is coming out of it.	Tengo una zona roja, hinchada y dolorosa en la pierna, y le sale pus.
Clinician	I am going to use a cotton swab to take a sample from the sore.	Voy a usar un hisopo de algodón para tomar una muestra de la llaga.
Patient	Can I spread MRSA to my family?	¿Puedo contagiarle el MRSA a mi familia?
Clinician	Have you had a MRSA infection before, or have you been in the hospital recently?	¿Ha tenido antes una infección por MRSA, o ha estado en el hospital recientemente?
Clinician	Keep the wound covered with a clean bandage, and avoid sharing towels or razors.	Mantenga la herida cubierta con un vendaje limpio, y evite compartir toallas o rasuradoras.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)
Spanish (Español)	MRSA (Staphylococcus aureus resistente a la meticilina)
Chinese (中文)	耐甲氧西林金黃色葡萄球菌
Korean (한국어)	메티실린 내성 황색포도상구균 (MRSA)
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Tụ cầu vàng kháng methicillin (MRSA)
Filipino (Tagalog)	MRSA
Portuguese (Português)	MRSA (Staphylococcus aureus resistente à meticilina)
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	เชื้อแบคทีเรียดื้อยา MRSA
Japanese (日本語)	メチシリン耐性黄色ブドウ球菌（MRSA）

Where you'll see it

chartEOBmedical recordprescription

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: A49 → Bacterial infection of unspecified site

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Blood and immune system

All terms in this area: Blood and immune system — Sangre y sistema inmunitario

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.