Test Your Knowledge

Preparing questions in advance can help patients have more meaningful discussions with healthcare professionals regarding their conditions. Patients may wish to ask their doctor the following questions about staph infections:

1. What symptoms indicate I may have a staph infection?
   
   
2. How do you think I was exposed to the staph bacteria?
   
   
3. Is there a way to identify what type of staph bacteria are causing my infection?
   
   
4. Do you recommend this diagnostic test for me? Why or why not?
   
   
5. How serious is my staph infection? What possible health conditions can it cause?
   
   
6. How will you treat my staph infection? What risks are associated with this treatment?
   
   
7. Are the staph bacteria causing my infection resistance to certain types of medications? How will I be treated if this is the case?
   
   
8. How long will it take my infection to completely go away?
   
   
9. Am I contagious? Should my family or other household members be tested for the presence of a staph infection?
   
   
10. How concerned should I be about MRSA? What can I do to avoid, or keep from spreading, MRSA and other staph infections?
    
    
11. What should I expect if there’s a MRSA or other staph outbreak in my child’s school or a relative’s nursing home?
    
    
12. How can I find out if I am an asymptomatic carrier of staph bacteria? Do you recommend that I do this? Why or why not?