Will my grandfather ever test negative for MRSA?

Question

He contacted Mrsa after hip replacement surgery. It tested in his lungs but he never did get ill from it. He has been on antiobiotics. It's been months and none of us has gone around him because we have small children and were afraid of contracting it. He has had the nose swab tests done and it always comes back positive. Will he ever test negative?

He's elderly and we want to be able to visit but our concerned with the chance that we or our young children will contract it.

Answer 1

Airborne MRSA is more contagious than contact, of course, because just breathing the same air can transmit it to the lungs of others. In hospitals & nursing homes, the employees have to 'suit up' to give care & treatment, wearing gown, mask, gloves, but it's still not a perfect preventative practice. Many caregivers are walking around with the staph on their skin & hair, but it only asserts itself if they get an injury. The nose is where it usually hides, which is why they do nose swab tests.

The use of IV antibiotics sometimes knocks it completely out, but since he is elderly, his resistance is slower, and healing could take a long time. It's sad that he & the family are missing out on together time since he's in his golden years, and probably doesn' t have much time left. Talking with him on the phone (if he's able) might help a little, and sending him home movies.

I am an RN and have seen this multiple times. I hope the best for you and your loved ones! :)

Answer 2

I took care of many patients with MRSA. Most of the time, if it is active, that's when he should be in isolation. It is respiratory and you can get it airborne. The thing is, you get this when your immune is pretty compromised or also another way is catching it in a nursing facility if you are going through rehab and then home. Use universal precautions, and I would always assume it is active. Just be careful. If your children are sick, I wouldn't bring them around your grandfather--this is the perfect time to get it---compromised immune is also the common cold. You or your family can catch it if you are sick, that's when I would try to stay away. Other than that, I wouldn't worry. I cared for patients that tested for MRSA for 11 years and I'm fine and I was very high risk. If you feel as if you need to talk to someone, call a medical professional and I'm sure they will be able to answer all your questions. Good Luck!

Answer 3

MRSA is just like any other Staphylococcus aureus, except that it is resistant to more antibiotics.

Many people eventually clear their MRSA because the Staph has to compete with all the other bacteria.

We see many people coming into hospital who have been positive for MRSA some years ago, and then when we re-test them they are clear. However we do not consider them clear until they test clear on 3 separate sets of MRSA swabs a month apart. (This is our hospital policy and might be different where you are from)

He may not ever test negative, but it is possible that he can.

Answer 4

I have had MRSA 3 times and I will tell you what I know. Yes it is possible for you and your children to get it from him, however there are precautions that you can take to greatly reduce your risk. First thing is cleanliness- wash your hands!!! Use Hibiclens (available in most drug stores for about $10 per bottle). Wear a face mask and ask your grandfather to wear one as well, for the protection of your children. Do not visit if you have any open wounds. Make sure that any wounds that he might have are covered and do not touch them. It is NOT true that once you test positive that you will always be positive. I tested positive 1st round but not since then. MRSA is cultivated in your nose. The common treatment is IV antibiotics, oral antibiotics and Bactroban in your nose. I cultivated it in my nose the first round I had with it. I followed my infectious diseases specialist advise on everything including washing my whole body with Hibiclens everyday for a week and then once a week after the 1st week. Take a mild bleach bath (1 cup of bleach to a tub of water)once a week to reduce bacteria on the skin. I was contracting MRSA from my mother-in-law who was routinely hospitalized for heart surgeries. We lived together in close contact and I was the one who changed all of her dressings etc. No one else in the household contracted it, therefore it was because of such close contact. I have not had it since she passed away. I would say that you would be fine to visit as long as you wore the face masks, washed your hands with Hibiclens, use it on your body in the bath after you get home, and wash your clothing with a little bleach after your visit. This might even be going to the extreme but better to be safe than sorry. MRSA is so very common now, it is nearly impossible to not be exposed to it in hospitals, clinics, and most other medical settings. I am sorry that this post is so long but MRSA is really not as scary as people think. Just use common sense and you should be fine. Enjoy your Grandfather while he is here.

Answer 5

Have your grandfather do 2-3 weeks of intranasal Bactroban (mupirocin) ointment twirled inside his nose twice daily. Then get him retested for MRSA. This is the same treatment used for infected hospital personnel. Might work, might not, but it's a simple treatment and that way he could know that you are trying your best to make things easy for him to see his grand kids.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/203489.html

The generic ointment works just as well as the more expensive nasal formulation. At the same time he is doing the intranasal Bactroban, make sure his clothes, sheets and pillowcases get washed regularly in hot soap and water. Also wash body in shower with Hibiclens or dilute vinegar (then rinse). This will greatly reduce his staph level on his skin. Because of his hip replacement there is a chance he won't clear the staph but there is also a chance he will. These directions were given to me by a prominent infectious disease specialist. I would also ask your kid's pediatrician his opinion of the risk involved. It might not be as high as you think. good luck

Answer 6

i have worked with a patient who had MRSA in the lungs and yes it is more contagious.with proper precautions you can be around him he is alone and afraid and he need some family around him if you think that he will never be negative he probably does too. but it is possible to test negative in mrsa.with all the antibotics and medication to treat it.

Answer 7

Once MRSA positive, he will stay positive.
best way to prevent transmission is hand washing after contact.
I wish this will help.

Answer 8

Once you're positive, you stay positive.