HELP! Fecal Matter Splash! Should I be concerned?!

OliveOyl91, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2017

You'll be fine, it's more emotionally scarring than anything. Even if there was MRSA in the feces (but you said this patient only had it in their wound), there would have to be an opening in the skin for it to get it and you cleaned it right away. Always make sure you wear PPE, especially when you're emptying drains/colostomies. Goggles are a must! After this incident, I would wear a mask, too, and empty containers closer to the toilet to cut down on splashing.

Just keep an eye out for any signs of infection.

When I worked in LTC, we weren't told that an incontinent resident had MRSA in their urine (and this resident liked to scratch themselves "down there") and when I turned this resident towards me in bed to un-tuck their clean brief, they grabbed onto my arm and broke the skin. This was LTC, so of course we didn't use isolation gowns, because it would cost a lot of money to gown up for a permanent resident and it was a dignity issue. Nice, right? A couple days later a mosquito bite-like bump appeared on my arm and it turned a bright, angry red. Then red lines began to work their way up my arm as my forearm began to swell and become painful. My doctor had to incise it and drain it before the antibiotics could take affect and the culture came back positive for MRSA.

jbowers1 · Jun 17, 2017

Thank you for your reply! I agree. It was more scarring than anything! I am definitely more careful now when emptying anything!

That's crazy that you had to have that experience. Unfortunately in the healthcare field we don't have the luxury of staying away from events as such!