What can be done to stop MRSA?

Question

People are going into hospitals over minor things, and dying.

What needs to be done, to control this?

Answer 1

I think, the responsibility lies on every individual in the health care field including the the patient and relatives.
We can not do anything with the microbe which has already emerged as a resistant species and the damage has already done due to over use of antibiotics. The only concern at the moment is how to prevent transmission and stop emerging another new resistant microbe.
A strict hand hygiene is necessary for everyone in the health care environment which is not only for nurses(some one here has already commented on nurses practice....please don`t do that) . The patient and family have to be empowered to challenge health care providers on their poor practice like bad hand hygiene.(It is already in place in my area of practice where relatives may ask you whether you have washed your hands prior doing something with the patient...it is quiet scarry experience) This also has to occur between various health care personnel.
The UK government has already taken great effort and various initiatives in order to name and shame those hospitals that have taken poor effort to combate the rate of MRSA infection. I think, the pressure is immense from various direction in this matter and of course many hospitals has shown good result(reduction of infection from MRSA) after following those measures religiously. There are few hospitals stil struggling to show a satisfactory performance. The reasons were poor staffing, lack of training, and poor funding. Hence , there are reasons why it is stil impossible to reduce the rate of MRSA infection.
Many people thing that, MRSA is predominantly acquired from the hospitals. It is not true. It is becoming widespread now and people from the community are increasingly diagnosed of having MRSA during their first admission to hospitals. The another area of concern is nursing home/ geriatric homes. People from these areas will easily contract MRSA due to their vulnerability. Many patients here may not be diagnosed until their first admission to hospital.
So, it is difficult to ascertain the source of infection. Regardless of source, people in the health care field should be more vigilent when prescribing antibiotics, and practising hand hygiene in every given opportunity. So we can not blame any single individual in this matter.

Answer 2

It infuriates me that everyone blames hospitals and their staff for these infections it has developed into the problem it is simply by the misuse of anti biotic drugs and is now endemic in the general population, as over 60 % of people carry the organism (which by the way causes no problems in normal none surgical situations) what major difference will "hygiene" make A patient comes into the hospital carrying the organism, they are visited by peolple who carry the organism they are nursed by people carrying it.
One of the most stupid television "documentaries I ever saw was Sir Trevor McDonald's Tonight Program in which they were swabbing lift buttons and citing the fact that MRSA was found proved that hygiene was somehow at fault, had these surfaces been sterilized and then subsequently been used by three people then the likelihood is that the surfaces would be populated by these bacteria.
If we boiled all patients visitors and staff for ten minutes on entry to hospital it still would not be enough to combat this problem it has just got too huge.

Answer 3

Actually, of the 12 million people that go in to hospital each year, only 365 people have died as a direct consequence of mrsa. Although this is completely unacceptable much of the hype and hysteria has been caused by the media. As the reporting of mrsa in hospitals has only been done in the last few years it is impossible to know what the levels of it where prior to this. Certainly is has risen in certain years, but is now in decline. Firthermore, a significant percentage of the population carry mrsa naturally in our noses, therefore it can be introduced from those coming into hospital. MRSA is harmful only to people who are vulnerable, those who are immunocomprimised due to illness, those recovering from surgery etc. *** in response to retox comment, i think the problem with handwashing lies purely with doctors and consultants!!! Work on any hospital ward and you will see that for yourself.

Answer 4

Aseptic precautions (eg, thoroughly washing hands between patient examinations and sterilizing shared equipment) help decrease spread in institutions. Strict isolation procedures should be used for patients harboring resistant microbes until their infections have been cured. An asymptomatic nasal carrier need not be isolated unless the strain is MRSA or is the suspected source of an outbreak.
Do not share personal items such as towels or razors with another person -- MRSA can be transmitted through contaminated items. Cover all wounds with a clean bandage, and avoid contact with other people’s soiled bandages. If you share sporting equipment, clean it first with antiseptic solution.
Staphylococcal food poisoning can be prevented by proper food preparation. Patients with staphylococcal skin infections should not handle food, and food should be consumed immediately or refrigerated and not kept at room temperature.

Answer 5

the nurses could start by washing their hands. The hospitals could help by ensuring that the cleaners actually do what they are supposed to do - clean. Not doing so is costing innocent people their lives. MRSA does not in fact kill anywhere near as many people as C Dificil does.

Answer 6

The enforcement of simple things- mandatory hand washing on all floors, plastic shoe covers, and all staff to carry a spare uniform. All visitors to remove jewellry etc etc.

Answer 7

infection control swabbing the patient to find out if they have it early enough and starting the treatment straight away.
hand washing of, patient, staff and relatives.
clean hospital environment.

Answer 8

Stop importing third world chickens, which is where the disease has apprently come from.

Then make sure that every doctor, patient, visitor etc washed their hands properly, does not sit on the bed, does not wear their uniform to and from work etc.

Answer 9

well if people knew then they would have stopped it already, but my guess is 1000% hygiene