MRSA Case Study

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Introduction Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a public health concern, resulting in elevated health costs, high levels of morbidity and mortality rates. It’s a major cause of skin and tissue infections with an increased prevalence in healthcare facilities, primary clinics, intensive care units, and emergency rooms (Durai, et al., 2010 and Mera, et al., 2011) Health care workers, families, visitors and other non-infected patients in acute care hospitals are at risk of developing MRSA; to break the chain of infection, routine practices such as hand hygiene, wearing of barrier protection, environmental hygiene are essential when in contact with confirmed cases and generally all patients (who may be unknown asymptomatic carriers).…show more content…
Considering the environment plays a role in MRSA transmission, measures to reduce risk in the environment such as the use of hospital approved disinfectant for cleaning, continuous staff education on MRSA (risk factors, preventive strategies, epidemiology rates, routes of transmission and health outcomes if infected), monitoring facility/housekeeping staff cleaning and disinfection practices to ensure optimization of best practices in acute care settings should be implemented (Seto, 1995, Calfee, et al.,…show more content…
Healthcare workers need to have a thorough understanding of MRSA, appropriate personal protective equipment, hand hygiene practices and set measures for patient transport. Barrier precautions: Barrier protections like gloves should be worn when in contact with patient’s blood and other contaminated body fluids; eye, nose protection should be worn (in the presence of respiratory associated MRSA infections). Use of gloves is not an alternative for hand hygiene and it’s important to create this awareness to healthcare workers, visitors, patients, and families. Hand hygiene: Hand wash stations and alcohol-based hand rubs should be present in each patient care room in an acute care setting. Hand washing is recommended before contact with any patient (whether or not the patient is a case), before any aseptic procedure, after exposure to body fluid (even if gloves were used) and after patient care/contact with the patient’s environment. Barrier precautions like gloves are used before and contact with a

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