Precautions for Health Care Workers to Prevent the Spread of MRSA
An outbreak of MRSA in a health care situation can be a serious problem. When you work in the field of medicine, your responsibility is for the care of the patient. Here are some of the outbreak control measures that you can take if you have symptomatic MRSA patients under your care.
First, you will want to be aware of any microbiological results you have on the patients under your care. You can use these results to determine a baseline number of persons with MRSA, as well as calculate the MRSA infection rate. This can help you identify trends in the rates of infections.
You can also use the medical records to identify which new residents have MRSA colonies or infections, particularly if they are coming in from a long term care facility or a hospital. There is no need to conduct a culture to determine MRSA status, simply use the information that is given to you.
Once you have identified which patients have MRSA, you will want to keep records on several aspects of their health. Monitor both residents who had a positive MRSA culture but do not have symptoms and those who are showing symptoms. Monitor the known sites of the colonization or infections, the date of the positive test, and the room where the patient is staying. You will want records of any and all treatments that are performed, as well as a record of anyone that comes in contact with that person, including other residents, staff, and visitors.
If you have residents with active infections or symptoms of infections, you will want to keep them isolated from other residents. Put them in a private room whenever possible. If one is not available, a MRSA patient can share a room with another MRSA patient that has no other infections. Make sure that you follow all hygiene procedures, including hand washing and wearing protective gear like gloves, gowns, and masks. Provide the treatment for MRSA as prescribed. Make sure that the room is cleaned daily if not more frequently, especially bedside equipment, frequently touched surfaces, bathrooms, and other possible contamination sites like handrails, telephones, or doorknobs. Make sure soiled linen is bagged in the room to prevent a spread of the bacteria. Make sure that all visitors are informed on the infections and outbreaks, and limit visiting times to infected patients. Having visitors follow the hygiene codes of frequent hand washing and wearing of protective gear can also help stem the flow of an outbreak.
Patients who are colonized with MRSA should be allowed to live normally. Protect other residents by avoiding practices that could lead to contamination, such as sharing a room. Normal environmental cleaning procedures and normal linen handling are sufficient. You should only treat a patient with MRSA colonization if they are at risk of developing an infection.
Remember that you the health care worker are the first line of defense against MRSA. When you do your part, patients can live longer, healthier lives without the worry of MRSA.
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