MRSA Infection Precautions

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are the cause of a MRSA infection. This is a common, antibiotic resistant infection in the hospital setting, and great strides have been made to help prevent the spread of this painful and potentially fatal infection. Health care workers, who can transmit the bacteria from one patient to another, have precautions that they follow when caring for a patient infected with MRSA. These are called Contact Precautions.

Hand Washing

• Hand washing is one of the most successful methods for preventing the spread of many types of bacteria, including MRSA. Health care workers should immediately and thoroughly wash their hands following contact with a patient, and before contact with another patient. If a patient has an open wound or infection, she may need to change gloves and wash her hands during contact with the patient to prevent contamination from one area of the body to another.

Gloves

• The health care worker needs to wear gloves when coming in contact with the patient, his bed rails, or anything nearby. The worker should put the gloves on right outside the room before even entering. The gloves should be removed when contact with the infected has ended, but before exiting the room, followed by immediate hand washing.

Gowns

• Before entering the MRSA infected patient's room, the health care worker will don a gown. This is usually a disposable paper gown. The gown will be removed before exiting the room. The worker should take care not to touch the outside of the gown when removing it and items in the room after the gown has been removed.

Medical Equipment

• When treating a patient with a MRSA infection, the health care worker should use disposable equipment when possible. If this is impossible, the patient should have dedicated equipment. For example, the patient can have a blood pressure cuff that stays in his room with him for the duration of his hospitalization. If it is absolutely unavoidable to share medical equipment between patients, the equipment must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between patients.

Patient Placement & Transport

• Health care workers should place patients with MRSA infections in single patient rooms whenever possible. If not possible, these patients should be placed in a room with another patient who has the same MRSA infection. Workers should transport patients only when medically necessary. They need to ensure that any open wounds or infected areas on the patient are covered before transport.

Patient Environment

• Frequent cleaning and disinfecting is important in the MRSA infected patient's room. The room should be cleaned daily. Surfaces that the patient comes in contact with such as bed rails and tables should be cleaned and disinfected at least once per day.