Discontinuing Contact Isolation for MRSA, VRE

[gypsyd8]

someone on another forum suggested i post this here.

i have a general question related to what i thought were standards of care. the hospital i work for has recently adopted a new wonder soap called steiros, and the powers that be have decided that we no longer have to place patients who have a history of mrsa or vre in contact isolation. as a matter of fact, since the advent of the special soap we no longer isolate patients who are currently infected with mrsa or vre. we can even place them in semi-private rooms with post op patients. i have looked this soap up, checked out ther website, and even done a search of my university's library databases. i cannot find anything about a soap that eliminates the need to isolate patients with mrsa and vre. has anyone else heard of this?

http://www.steiros.com/index.html

http://stores.germcure.com/storefront.bok

btw- the active ingredient is benzalkonium chloride, not chlorhexidine.

[Scarlette Wings]

Hi,

I have never heard of anything that stops the need for isolation precautions. I would write the APIC board or CDC. There is also a blog that OSHA has you can post questions. We bath all our ICU patients with CHG bath cloths but that does not nullify their isolation standing. Sounds unsafe to me and I would want CDC and APIC or SHEA backup with hard cold facts. Facts not prompted by the company selling the product.

The article says it reduces 99% of the organisms, it does NOT eliminate them. Nor does it say for how long. I would not dare deter from evidenced based practice without sound CDC standards that say it is proven safe and effective. Write the CDC, Infection Control Today magazine, or APIC. I also do not see the article saying they eliminate the need for isolation.

[dogwalker]

I have been getting lots of calls from units asking about downgrading from contact to standard on patients with mdro infections and colonization histories. If I understand the cdc correctly, they advise that patients with mdro infections and colonization remain on contact precautions. See March 2010 issue of APIC magazine.

[muffin7]

As an Operating Room Nurse, I can't imagine putting my post op patient in an infected room, contact or otherwise. The post op patient's body is already stressed and their immunity decreased.

[startlight]

I am a charge nurse at Pacific Hospital of Long Beach and I want to clear some misinformation. First we do not place post-surgical patients with infected patients. Second since the implementation of the system PHLB is the only hospital in the country with the lowest infection rate. Third my own son was cure by the new system.

It is so sad that nurses that do not have the minimal understanding of a new process tend to make up things to discredit a greeat person like Dr. Torress-Cook .I truly belive that Dr. Alfonso Torres Cook, is perhaps this nation's most effective crusader against hospital acquired infections. Under his new policy, Pacific Hospital posts an infection rate 80% lower than the national rate, and beacause of our new appraoch we are also saving lifes.

[startlight]

I agree with you. Your hospital is the leading organization in the prevention and elimination of MRSA, VRE I am so glad that he is trying so hard to change the old nursing mentality and protect our patients. he is a Hero!

[sunkissed75, CNA]

That's odd....

[caliotter3]

I am a charge nurse at Pacific Hospital of Long Beach and I want to clear some misinformation. First we do not place post-surgical patients with infected patients. Second since the implementation of the system PHLB is the only hospital in the country with the lowest infection rate. Third my own son was cure by the new system.

It is so sad that nurses that do not have the minimal understanding of a new process tend to make up things to discredit a greeat person like Dr. Torress-Cook .I truly belive that Dr. Alfonso Torres Cook, is perhaps this nation's most effective crusader against hospital acquired infections. Under his new policy, Pacific Hospital posts an infection rate 80% lower than the national rate, and beacause of our new appraoch we are also saving lifes.

I agree with you. Your hospital is the leading organization in the prevention and elimination of MRSA, VRE I am so glad that he is trying so hard to change the old nursing mentality and protect our patients. he is a Hero!

That's odd....

Seems odd to me too.