Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

Abstract Hospital settings have harbored a disease-causing organism called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) since the 1960s. However, hospitals aren’t the only settings at risk of a MRSA outbreak. In recent years’ healthy communities have seen a genetically distinct strain of MRSA, called community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). Although this organism has

After microorganisms enter the patient’s body they can go to the lungs and cause pneumonia. Central line-bloodstream infections occur when microorganism enter the bloodstream by the intravenous line. Microorganisms are transfer into the blood stream by inadequate hand hygiene or improper intravenous fluid, tubing, and site care practice. Multidrug-resistant organisms can cause infections of the blood, skin, or organ systems. These infections can arise due to the overuse or misuse of antibiotics, which can result in the microorganisms becoming more resistant to antibiotic therapy. Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus and Clostridium difficile are examples of this kind of infection. Health care employees need to know the different types of hospital acquired infections and how they are spread to be able to effectively prevent them.

Emerging Infectious Disease: MRSA Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or more commonly, MRSA, is an emerging infectious disease affecting many people worldwide. MRSA, in particular, is a very interesting disease because although many people can be carriers of it, it generally only affects those with a depressed immune system; this is why it is so prevalent in places like nursing homes and hospitals. It can be spread though surgeries, artificial joints, tubing, and skin-to-skin contact. Although there is not one specific treatment of this disease, there are ways to test what antibiotics work best and sometimes antibiotics aren’t even necessary.

Infection control within a healthcare facility is the prevention of the spread of many microorganisms from patient to patient, patient to a member of staff and also from the staff member to the patient that are in there care. The World Health Organisation have defined healthcare associated infections as an

The Joint Commission Accreditation Body assesses health care organization’s compliance with National Patient Safety Goals. The goal of the Joint Commission Body is to focus on critical aspects and patient safety issues in health care organizations, which can vary according to the setting of the health care being performed (Chassin, 2008). Infections occurring in surgical sites of patients account for 15% of all infections that transpire in a hospital setting, and the risk of death doubles in patients who develop infections. The dangers of surgical site infections include superficial, deep, and organ or space infections. The different infections include cellulitis, gangrene, MRSA, and wound sinus, which can lead to amputation, organ

• Touching objects, such as public phones or doorknobs, that have MRSA bacteria on the surface.

10. Discuss how patients can be protected from in-hospital acquired MRSA. Health care providers and visitors are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow strict hand hygiene procedures. Contaminated rooms, surfaces, and laundry items are properly disinfected to prevent the spread of MRSA. In addition to policy and procedures, patient teaching is also helpful for preventing exposure and spread of MRSA. As aforementioned earlier, hand hygiene is key to prevent exposer or transmission of the bacteria. To properly wash your hand effectively, first scrub hands rapidly for at least 15 seconds. Next, use a disposable towel to dry them and another towel to turn off the faucet. In addition, hand sanitizer that contains 62 percent or more of alcohol may be an adequate substitute when the individual does not have access to soap and water (Mayo Clinic Staff,

MRSA is spread by contact, so for example, touching another person who has it on the skin, or by touching objects the bacteria has transferred to. These particular infections are frequent amongst those with weak immune systems and those in hospitals, nursing homes, care centers, etc., because the superbugs crop up around surgical wounds or invasive devices such as catheters or implanted feeding tubes. The

Healthcare associated infections are ranked as one of the top five causes of death in the United States (1). This is a very serious problem being that so many people go to hospitals to maybe have a surgery and get better and in return get a very serious infection that has been known to take limbs and even lives. There are many different hospital acquired or nosocomial infections, but the one that I am referring to is especially dangerous. The name of this infection is called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, or more commonly known as MRSA.

Hand hygiene has been stated as the one main element that can prevent the spread of MRSA (Gould 2002). Washing hands is not kid’s stuff – not in the era of MRSA. Once entrenched MRSA can be extremely difficult to treat. If it gets into the blood stream it can

Historically MRSA infections have been confined to hospitals and infected those that generally were very sick to begin with. In recent years, MRSA has started to become prevalent in healthy individuals; specifically those on high school and collegiate sports teams. Studies have shown that the rates among athletes tend to

Infection control is very important in the health care profession. Health care professionals, who do not practice proper infection control, allow themselves to become susceptible to a number of infections. Among the most dreaded of these infections are: hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Another infection which has more recently increased in prevalence is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). These infections are all treated differently. Each infection has its own symptoms, classifications, and incubation periods. These infections are transmitted in very similar fashions, but they do not all target the same population.

ICUs have complex patient populaces, which can act as vessels for breeding and disseminating MRSA throughout the rest of the hospital. Daily chlorhexidine bathing has been proven through multiple studies as an effective method to prevent or reduce the prevalence of MRSA and other hospital acquired infections in ICUs; however, there is not consistent buy-in by nursing staff in some ICUs. In an effort to better utilize the evidence-based research and increase patient health-outcomes hospitals should educated and train staff on proper bathing protocols to optimized

The problem with control methods is that once using them for a long period of time they become resistant and no longer work effectively resulting and finding new methods and will also result in them becoming resistant. (Cooper, et al 2004) has found that hospitals have stayed with three control methods guidelines that include restrictions of antibiotics, washing your hands and having a proper hygiene and the ability to detect and isolate patients who are infected with MRSA . The best method that hospitals are taking into consideration is isolating infected colonized patients, because it is known that patient to patient transmit infections do occur more than any other way. Data research has been found that the safest way to prevent further contamination of the spread of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus is to follow these three proper safety guidelines (Chaberny, et al

She begins with the discovery of the strain S. aureus phage type 80/81, a precursor to MRSA, in 1953, less than a decade after penicillin was released to the public. From there, she describes the emergence of MRSA strains first in hospitals and later in the general population. McKenna continues with the emergence and rise to dominance of the virulent and potentially deadly strain of USA 300. She includes the spread of MRSA to pets, pigs, and even an elephant. She additionally addresses the problems faced by schools and prisons in limiting MRSA’s spread. The history of MRSA includes over sixty years of outbreaks, discoveries, and setbacks. Superbug explicates this long and convoluted history so that it is both understandable and interesting to students interested in