May 14, 2007

Jameson Institutes Pilot Program to Treat MRSA  

Hospitals across the country are continuously evaluating ways to better fight infections knowing they significantly impact patient outcomes. At Jameson, a team of clinical professionals meet regularly to review and re-evaluate the numerous infection control measures in place to ensure that everything possible is being done to prevent hospital-acquired infections.  

A new type of infection, however, is presenting a new problem for health care leaders nationwide – an infection that is not only resistant to antibiotics but is also not generally hospital-acquired.  It is known as MRSA or or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.  

Specifically, germs that commonly live on the skin and in the nose are called staphylococcus or “staph” bacteria.  Usually a staph bacteria causes no harm but sometimes it can get inside the body through a break in the skin and cause an infection.  Most often, antitibiotics are effective in killing the bacteria, but sometimes bacteria  become resistant to antibiotics and this type of staph is called MRSA .  

A dilemma for health care workers is that MRSA can be acquired anywhere and can be easily transmitted from one person to another.  Transmission also occurs among family members if they do not take necessary precautions.

Jameson Hospital has recently begun a new program to identify patients with MRSA and implement measures to contain its spread.  In addition to education about how it is acquired, what increases your risk, how contagious it is, and ways it which it can be controlled, “contact precautions” will be instituted necessitating the wearing of gowns and gloves while caring for the patient.