Treating MRSA Outside of the Hospital

MRSA was once mainly a hospital problem. However, new strains of the drug are popping up in the general population, and at the same time more people are choosing to do their long term care at home. Here is a look at some of the precautions that should be taken when caring for a patient with MRSA outside of a hospital setting.

The same as the hospital, the home caregiver has two concerns: protecting themselves from contracting the disease and protecting other people and patients that they come in contact with from contracting the disease as well.

The main way to prevent the transmission of MRSA bacteria is with good hygiene. Hands should be washed before going into the home, every time gloves are removed, and before leaving the home. Antiseptic soap and alcohol-based hand sanitizer should be carried with them at all times. Home care nurses should also follow basic safety protective precautions like wearing gowns, gloves, and protective gear when working with patients.

The home care nurse should treat the patient the same as they would in a hospital setting. Efforts should be made to prevent cross contamination of equipment and supplies, and whenever possible the MRSA patient should have their own set of supplies. For items that this is not possible, everything should be cleaned with a hospital grade disinfectant before and after the visit.

In a home hospice care situation, caregivers may not be made aware of a patient’s MRSA standing. Family members should also practice good hygiene when around the patient. Health care workers should find out the status of a patient’s MRSA situation before starting a position.

With hospice care, there are some specific things that the family can do for their protection. Any caregivers should wash their hands before working with the patient and before they leave the house. Towels should be used only once, and other linens should be washed on a regular basis or when they have become dirtied. The caregiver should wear gloves when working with a patient, and all workers should be informed that the patient has MRSA. The patient’s room should also be cleaned and disinfected regularly.

Another MRSA concern is in the school system. Doctors may forget to tell parents to inform the school system of a MRSA infection. Many states already have guidelines in place for dealing with MRSA. Children who are colonized do not need to be removed from school. Any open wounds should be covered with clean bandages, and school nurses who assist with bandage changing should follow proper precautions.

Sports in schools are a particular area for concern about the transmission of MRSA due to the close physical contact of the players and the risks of obtaining open wounds.

All wounds should be covered, and players with skin lesions should be excluded from practice until healed enough to have them covered. Good hygiene should be practiced after games, and soap and hot water should be provided as well as separate towels. Equipment that is shared should be disinfected regularly, and coaches and players should be aware of how to identify infected wounds.

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