Hospital Procedures for MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of staph infection that is resistant to antibiotics. MRSA infections most commonly occur in patients who are in hospitals and long-term care facilities. Precautions are being taken by hospitals to prevent the spread of MRSA.

Identifying MRSA

• MRSA can infect multiple parts of the body, including skin, tissues and body fluids. Testing must be done to determine if the patient has MRSA. MRSA can be identified by taking a sample of the suspected infection and having it cultured. If the sample is positive for MRSA, certain precautions are taken by hospitals to prevent the infection from spreading.

Notification

• Individuals who suffer from MRSA may be placed in isolation. Signs and the proper protective equipment is placed outside the entry way to the patient's room, notifying staff and visitors of the infection. Visitors and staff alike must comply with the isolation precautions to help prevent the spread of MRSA. Staff members will advise visitors of the precautionary measures in place and show them how to use the necessary personal protective equipment required.

Types of Isolation

• Two major types of isolation--contact and respiratory--are used when dealing with MRSA. Contact isolation is the most common type used when dealing with MRSA. Contact isolation means that isolation precautions are necessary when contact with the infected area or fluids may be possible. Patients who have MRSA in wounds, blood, urine or skin may be placed in contact isolation. Patients in contact isolation may have roommates. In most cases, the roommate also suffers from the same type of infection, although it may occur in a different location.

  Respiratory isolation is a more serious type of isolation and generally means that the patient is alone in a room. MRSA located in the sputum (phlegm) is easily spread throughout the air through infected droplets that can escape and land on surfaces when a patient sneezes or coughs. Extra precautions and personal protective equipment is necessary for patients with MRSA in the sputum who are placed in respiratory isolation.

Personal Protective Equipment

• When dealing with infection and isolation, certain equipment is needed. Personal protective equipment used with infection control include disposable gloves, gowns, masks, eyewear (goggles) and shoe covers. Contact isolation requires gloves be worn when dealing with patients who have an infection. If contact with the infected area is possible, gowns and eye wear may also be required. When dealing with a patient in respiratory isolation, the personal protective equipment needed to prevent the spread of infection include gloves, gown, eyewear and masks.

  Personal protective equipment should be put on before entering the patient's room and removed in the doorway before exiting. Hand washing should occur both before and after contact with a patient who has MRSA. Items such as toiletries, magazines, papers and flowers located in the patient room should be disposed of and not removed if the patient is transported or discharged. All nondisposable items, such as linen, stethoscopes and utensils, should be kept in separate containers and properly disinfected before reuse.

  MRSA is becoming a common problem in health care. Hospitals are taking certain precautions to prevent the spread of MRSA. Following isolation procedures and properly using personal protective equipment can help control MRSA.