Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is an organism commonly found on the skin of healthy people. At any one time 60% of us carry this organism and the population affected is continually changing. MRSA is a much less common variant which is resistant to penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics commonly used to treat sensitive strains. There are many other antibiotics readily available to treat MRSA infection. These organisms may also be transiently present on the skin without causing infection. However, like sensitive Staph Aureus, occasionally these organisms can cause infection and rarely, septicaemia (infection in the blood).
At The Lister Hospital, minimising the risk of hospital acquired infections for each patient, including MRSA, is a priority. This is achieved through a matter of continuous vigilance, robust infection surveillance systems and ongoing training of staff at all levels in hospital hygiene. Our entire care infection control procedures are supervised and reinforced by our experienced and dedicated Infection Control Nurses and Consultant Medical advisers.
This commitment to the highest quality standard has successfully kept the incidence of MRSA infection at very low levels. Almost all of our occurrences of MRSA are imported and contained. Secondary spread is very unusual.
Other factors that contribute to our high quality record include:
- High nurse to patient ratios, increasing the time available for individual attention and ensuring the highest quality of care and hygiene.
- On- site cleaning staff who work to high specifications of hygiene and cleanliness, available 24 hours every day to respond to any need that may arise.
- A rapid and comprehensive room cleaning regime between the discharge of one patient and the admission of the next.
As part of their routine post-operative care, all patients admitted to The Lister Hospital including day cases are screened for MRSA by taking a swab from the anterior part of the nose (the commonest site of staphylococcal carriage, including MRSA). Should the patient be an MRSA carrier, the procedure may be deferred pending eradication treatment, or if clinically necessary to proceed, will be nursed in strict isolation ("barrier nursing") to reduce the possibility of transmission to healthcare staff or other patients.