ER Nurses contracting MRSA

labcat01, BSN, RN · May 22, 2006

I haven't heard anything about it. If anyone has some literature i'd love to see it. Are the nurses mostly contracting CA-MRSA or HA-MRSA? I can't imagine it would be hospital acquired.

babynurselsa, RN · May 22, 2006

At this point I assume they are all MRSA. I glove and wash and scrub down the beds etc when these pt go. I have not noticed any of my coworkers getting infections. We see many of the pts over and over again though.

Noryn · May 23, 2006

I have been told numerous times by hospital administration that as long as you just follow your precautions you are ok. The problem is I cannot remember an administration that was honest.

I feel and I dont have research to back this up that MRSA in wounds is going to become a bigger problem and it wont just affect those with compromised immune systems. Where I live a few high school football players developed a MRSA skin infection. Also I have read reports of professional athletes and wrestlers developing MRSA.

The problem with healthcare providers is that we dont always know the ones who have MRSA and we have parts of our body that are exposed such as arms, neck, etc. For the past year I have become really concerned about this.

slcpicu · May 23, 2006

At a prior hospital I worked at a nurse contracted a deadly form of CA-MRSA and went to the er to get checked out before going home sick from the night shift. Everything checked out ok, his chest films, labs etc. By 0600 he was back in the ER in resp distress actually went to the MICU where he later died a couple days later. Rumor has it that 2 other people got sick also but because they had been exposed more that it did not effect them as much. The nurse that died was a new grad actually in my hospital orientation class and because he was not exposed and was a younger kid made him more likely to do bad with this particular form of MRSA. So be careful out there!!!

ernurseodessa · May 23, 2006

I think there is more to this infection then meets the eye. I'm not sure that we are protected enough, by hand washing and glove wearing. I am very concerned, not just for myself but also for my family and other heath care workers and their families as well.

Nurse1966 · May 23, 2006

There's been studies done that MRSA has been cultured off of shopping cart handles...so these nurses could've just picked it up in the community. Employee health would say "if you followed protocol, you're protected". Some nursing homes are contemplating removing MRSA infections as an isolation indicator because pretty much once you get it, you've got it, whether it causes symptoms or not, they're colonized. Some even think it may eventually be considered normal flora in the future. CA-MRSA is usually the culprit for soft tissue infections. The upside is you can treat with Clindamycin but the downside is the toxin's are worse than HA-MRSA. I've seen a definite increase in MRSA and C.Diff. Oh the joys of nursing.

I1tobern · May 23, 2006

I live in georgia and last year, the CDC was in my county checking the jail, every day care center, etc. because this county practically has an epidemic of MRSA. And, yes, some of the nurses and their families have been coming in and being infected with MRSA.

carachel2 · May 23, 2006

You guys have just given me inspiration for my Evidence Based Research project due this summer in my research class. When we discharge a patient with a wound that had to be I&D'd and is probably MRSA,etc. we tell them to wash hands, keep the wound covered,etc. but we really don't go into detail about laundering linens, etc. I have had a few friends who were treated at places like CareNow,etc. and I have found out that those docs are prescribing an intransal ointment for the whole family to wipe out colonization ???

Anyone care to elaborate on your discharge teaching for MRSA and are they based on any hard research out there ?

labcat01, BSN, RN · May 24, 2006

I just did a paper on the epidemiology of CA vs HA - MRSA. If you'd like to see my references just PM me. It probably isn't what you are looking for but it might be for background info. :)

LIZPICURN · May 24, 2006

Just wanted to quickly respond to ER nurses contracting MRSA. As a PICU RN I have always been extremely careful about hand washing and isolation precautions. Needless to say, you can never be too careful. I had been under the weather for several months ( This was after I had trained and completed my goal of running a marathon.) I was working night shift in the PICU and noticed what appeared to be 3 "bug bites" on the left side of my body. I went to an urgent care, thinking it was no big deal and basically was laughed at by the doctor that saw me. He rolled his eyes at me and said they were spider bites. I told him these bites were painful and unilateral which was a concern. I also expressed my concern that I was a PICU RN. He continued to think I was crazy and sent me home with antibiotics. Over the duration of my night shift that night these "bites" turned into abcesses and I had cellulitis spreading down my left leg. That AM I went to the ER. As soon as I said I was an RN I was quickly diagnosed with MRSA, in which the cultures later proved. I was sick and lost a lot of weight over this. Thank goodness with some rest and a heafty dose of Vanco I was OK. It just shows, that you can never be too careful. Always trust your instinct. I was cleared to go back to work a few weeks later. My infectious disease MD said MRSA was more prevalent in the community. He said that I was probablly imunosuppressed enough to become infected with it. This was a few years ago. I haven't had a problem since.

redshiloh · May 24, 2006

Be very aware of patients who come in with 'spider bites'. We just discharged a guy who had 'spider bites' all over his body. They all cultured MRSA(ca) pos.

My SO has had many MRSA infections. They come on fast and get worse quick. They are very painful. The last time he was infected they ended up doing an I&D in the OR. Treating the infected patient can only be part of the cure. The family must be treated prophylactically with bactroban oint nasally and PR BID.

This is really scary stuff.