The
reason I have put this site up is because I have just been
through the horror of MRSA with my mother and let me tell
you at 82 years old she has beaten it
so please do not think that if you pick up MRSA that it is
automatically the end because it is not.
Here are
a few snippets of information about MRSA but please
check out all the sites on
this page who will give you
information on products to perhaps save your loved one
getting MRSA in the first place as well as tips on what to
do if they do.
I
honestly feel that if you can keep the correct products
around to stop your family catching it in the first place
you will save yourself a lot of heartache
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What is MRSA?
The organism
Staphylococcus aureus is found on many individuals skin and
seems to cause no major problems. However if it gets inside
the body, for instance under the skin or into the lungs, it
can cause important infections such as boils or pneumonia.
Individuals who carry this organism are usually totally
healthy, have no problems whatever and are considered simply
to be carriers of the organism.
The term MRSA or methicillin resistant
Staphylococcus aureus is used to describe those examples of
this organism that are resistant to commonly used
antibiotics. Methicillin was an antibiotic used many years
ago to treat patients with Staphylococcus aureus infections.
It is now no longer used except as a means of identifying
this particular type of antibiotic resistance.
Individuals can become
carriers of MRSA in the same way that they can become a
carrier of ordinary Staphylococcus aureus which is by
physical contact with the organism. If the organism is on
the skin then it can be passed around by physical contact.
If the organism is in the nose or is associated with the
lungs rather than the skin then it may be passed around by
droplet spread from the mouth and nose. We can find out if
and where Staphylococcus aureus is located on a patient by
taking various samples, sending them to the laboratory and
growing the organism. Tests done on any Staphylococcus
aureus grown from such specimens can then decide how
sensitive the organisms is to antibiotics and if it is a
methicillin resistant (MRSA) organism. These test usually
take 2-3 days.
Why bother with MRSA?
MRSA organisms are
often associated with patients in hospitals but can also be
found on patients not in a hospital. Usually it is not
necessary to do anything about MRSA organisms. However if
MRSA organisms are passed on to someone who is already ill,
then a more serious infection may occur in that individual.
When patients with MRSA are discovered in a hospital, the
hospital will usually try to prevent it from passing around
to other patients. This is known as infection control.
How do we prevent the spread of MRSA?
Measures to prevent the spread of organisms from one person
to another are called isolation or infection control. The
type of infection control or isolation required for any
patient depends on the organism, where the organisms is
found on an individual and the patient.
The most important type of isolation required for MRSA is
what is called Contact Isolation. This type of isolation
requires everyone in contact with the patient to be very
careful about hand washing after touching either the patient
or anything in contact with the patient. If the organism is
in the nose or lungs it may also be necessary to have the
patient in a room to prevent spread to others by droplet
spread. Because dust and surfaces can become contaminated
with the organism, cleaning of surfaces are also important.
This usually occurs after the patient leaves the hospital.
If a number of patients are infected with the same organism
it is possible to nurse them in the same area. On occasions
for the sake of other patients it may be necessary to move
carriers of MRSA to an isolation unit such as ours which
specializes in isolating all types of infections to protect
other persons. The medical care of such patients will
continue in an isolation unit which are well used to caring
for all types of medical and surgical problems associated
with infections.
What do visitors need to do?
Provided relatives and friends of patients with MRSA are
healthy there is no restriction on visiting and it carries
no risk. Visitors are not required to wear special clothing
BUT we would ask you to help us prevent this organism
spreading around our hospital by keeping the patients' door
closed at all times and always washing your hands whenever
you leave the room.
What about MRSA at home?
In patients who are otherwise well the organisms often
disappear once the patient leaves the hospital. Sometimes
they do not however, and this may mean that when a patient
has to go back into hospital the isolation precautions need
to be used again. Provided everyone at home is healthy
special precautions are not required at home
What can be done about MRSA?
In certain situations it may be a good idea to try to get
rid of the organism from a patient and this can be done with
various creams and shampoos or on occasions combinations of
antibiotics taken by mouth or by injection depending on the
health of the patient.
