Knowledge is Key to Understanding and Preventing MRSA , Say Local Health Professionals

New Castle , PA – April 10, 2008 –Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (staph infection) has become a household name in recent years -- at least by its acronym -- MRSA .

The well-known but little understood super-bug has been a problem in Western Pennsylvania and indeed Lawrence County in recent years, and health professionals want to educate the public about the bacteria, its prevention and treatment.  

According to Nancy Gibson, Jameson Health System’s infection control coordinator, MRSA was first identified in the 1960s in hospitals and nursing homes.  In the late 1990s, a new type of MRSA was identified. This type of MRSA is becoming more common among children and adults who do not have medical problems.   

Says Gibson, “ MRSA originated with the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that was first treated with older traditional antibiotics. Germs like MRSA are biologically engineered to survive, and they can mutate to become resistant over time.  If MRSA is over treated, the germ can be expected to again mutate to become resistant to today’s newer antibiotics as well.”

Staph is a type of bacteria.  It may cause skin infections that may look like pimples or boils.  Skin infections caused by Staph may be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage.  MRSA is a Staph infection   resistant to certain antibiotics, making it harder to treat. Infections range from mild to very serious -- even life-threatening.  

Gibson is quick to point out that anyone can get a Staph infection or MRSA . However, people are more likely to contract a Staph infection if they have skin-to-skin contact with someone who has Staph; contact with items or surfaces that have Staph on them; openings in their skin such as cuts or scrapes; crowded living conditions or poor hygiene.

There are two ways one can have MRSA . Having an active infection means that a person has symptoms. The types of symptoms depend on where the bacteria are located.  Usually an active infection is a skin infection, such as a boil, a sore or an infected cut. Carriers do not have visible symptoms, but still have MRSA bacteria living on their skin and/or nose. 

Most Staph skin infections are minor and may be easily treated.  There are three common treatments for an active MRSA infection:

1. Draining the infection - draining should only be done by a trained health care provider
2. Prescribed antibiotics - your doctor may culture your infection and have the lab test the bacteria to find out which antibiotic is right for you.  If your doctor gives you antibiotics, take them exactly as prescribed. 
3. Reducing the amount of bacteria on the skin or in the nose - use of antibacterial soap, pills or ointments.

Jameson Health System is taking part in a state and national patient safety program to reduce the risk of transmission of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

“Our first priority is the safety of our patients, their families and our staff,” says Debra Perretta, director of quality management services for Jameson. “We want members of the community to understand that the many visible measures they will see in place upon entering Jameson Hospital are preventive in nature and that they do not indicate a current infection problem in the facility. Jameson is taking proactive measures to prevent the spread of the bacteria.”

To that end, Jameson and many other hospitals around the country are making a concerted effort to explain to the public what they will see upon entering their facilities.

“Each and every patient entering Jameson hospital is now tested so that the staff can appropriately identify, treat and, if necessary, isolate patients determined to be carriers of the bacteria,” states Barbara Bernardi, nurse executive for the New castle-based health system. “Not all hospitals are taking as aggressive a stance on the prevention of the spread of MRSA .”

To determine if a patient has MRSA , a nurse will first collect a nose swab during the admission process.  This specimen is easily collected by swabbing the inside of the nose with a small sterile swab. An additional specimen may be collected at discharge. The specimen is then sent to the laboratory for evaluation.

Within 24-48 hours after the collection, the lab will report results to the nurse and/or physician.  They will then share the results of the test with the patient. 

If a patient is found to have MRSA or to be a carrier of MRSA , his or her physician will determine appropriate treatment. If the patient is determined to be a carrier, and is having high-risk surgery such as a total joint procedure, the physician may decide to reduce the amount of bacteria on the skin or in the nose with antibacterial soaps or ointments.  All health care staff will wear gowns and gloves not only for the patient’s protection, but for theirs and the protection of other patients during their stay in the hospital.

Bernardi concludes, “At Jameson, we take every possible precaution in preventing the spread of MRSA infections. Patients entering our doors should not feel apprehensive about the measures in place, but rather they should feel reassured that they are in a quality, caring environment where their safety is of paramount importance.”    

SIDEBAR

What Can You Do to Prevent MRSA Infection?

Charlane Verdi, Jameson Health System’s director of community and staff education, offers the following tips that individuals can use to prevent the spread of MRSA and other infections on a daily basis: 

• Wash your hands frequently

• Carry alcohol-based hand gel with you so you can sanitize your hands if soap and water are not available

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.  Throw the tissue in a waste basket and wash your hands.

• Take a bath or shower every day.  This will help to reduce the amount of bacteria on your skin.

• Keep your fingernails short to keep the bacteria from growing under and on your nails.

• Change your sheets and towels regularly.

• Change your clothes daily and wash them before wearing again.

• Do not share towels, razors, toothbrushes or other personal items.

• Take good care of your skin.  Remember, MRSA lives on your skin.  Any break or crack in your skin can allow it to enter and cause an infection.  If you get a cut or scrape, clean it with soap and water and then cover it with a bandage.

• Take care of yourself: eat right, exercise, quit smoking and avoid stress.

• Get medical care at the first sign of infection in a cut, such as redness, swelling, pain or pus. 

• Tell your health care providers if you have had MRSA in the past. 

• If you work in a health care setting, you may need to take special precautions.  Consult with your employer.