This a true story and I hope no one will laugh at me.
I am a nursing student and I am currently working as a CNA in a hospital.
Today I just worked an evening shift and there were two patients on my floor that had MRSA. I was careful enough that each time when I entered their rooms, I would put my gown and gloves on. And I also washed my hands after working with them.
And here is the dumpest part of the story...:imbar
I went in to one of my MRSA patient's room and he said he wanted more "hot water" in his tea. So I took his cup (with the teabag in it) out and went to the kitchen to get some hot water. Since I was using tap water and wearing gloves, I was not able to tell if the water was "hot" enough. So what I did was put my nose and face "REAL" close to the cup to feel the steam.
Now, my question for all of you smart people out there is, do you think that I can get MRSA from sniffing his saliver (which was on the cup that he used)?
I am very worry now because I have two young sons at home and we sometimes share food and utensils.
How do I know if I have MRSA? Do I need to get a titer to find out?
MRSA means methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylocossus (Staph) normally colonizes the human body. It became methicillin resistant after 50 years of treating Staph infections with Penicillin.
MRSA is present in about 25-30% of the US population. However colonization does not mean you will become sick.
The reason for isolation of MRSA colonized patients is to protect the other patients on the floor. Especially those with compomised immune systems, including surgical wounds. The patient with a MRSA infection can be treated with other antibiotic.
Staph especially loves the nose. That is a number one hang out for staph. However unless you have a open wound in nose or your WBC's is low your will not become sick.
And if there was staph bacteria on the cup, the hot water would have killed the bug, especially if you microwaved the water. Staph can not live in temperature much lower or higher the 98.6 degree.
More importantly, even though you were wearing gloves, that only protects you. When you touched the faucet to turn on the tap water, you may have contaminated the faucet. So the next person to use the sink may carry the MRSA to an unsuspecting patient with a new surgical wound. Gloves especially stay in the room!
Hope this helps. Good luck in school. I would suggest a microbiology class if you have not had one.
MRSA means methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylocossus (Staph) normally colonizes the human body. It became methicillin resistant after 50 years of treating Staph infections with Penicillin.
MRSA is present in about 25-30% of the US population. However colonization does not mean you will become sick.
The reason for isolation of MRSA colonized patients is to protect the other patients on the floor. Especially those with compomised immune systems, including surgical wounds. The patient with a MRSA infection can be treated with other antibiotic.
Staph especially loves the nose. That is a number one hang out for staph. However unless you have a open wound in nose or your WBC's is low your will not become sick.
And if there was staph bacteria on the cup, the hot water would have killed the bug, especially if you microwaved the water. Staph can not live in temperature much lower or higher the 98.6 degree.
More importantly, even though you were wearing gloves, that only protects you. When you touched the faucet to turn on the tap water, you may have contaminated the faucet. So the next person to use the sink may carry the MRSA to an unsuspecting patient with a new surgical wound. Gloves especially stay in the room!
Hope this helps. Good luck in school. I would suggest a microbiology class if you have not had one.
And if there was staph bacteria on the cup, the hot water would have killed the bug, especially if you microwaved the water. Staph can not live in temperature much lower or higher the 98.6 degree.
Actually, optimal growth for Staph aureus is 98.6 F (37 C) but it can survive and grow from 39-115 F (4-46 °C). It can survive a salt concentration of up to 20%.
Actually, optimal growth for Staph aureus is 98.6 F (37 C) but it can survive and grow from 39-115 F (4-46 °C). It can survive a salt concentration of up to 20%.
MRSA means methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylocossus (Staph) normally colonizes the human body. It became methicillin resistant after 50 years of treating Staph infections with Penicillin.
MRSA is present in about 25-30% of the US population. However colonization does not mean you will become sick.
The reason for isolation of MRSA colonized patients is to protect the other patients on the floor. Especially those with compomised immune systems, including surgical wounds. The patient with a MRSA infection can be treated with other antibiotic.
Staph especially loves the nose. That is a number one hang out for staph. However unless you have a open wound in nose or your WBC's is low your will not become sick.
And if there was staph bacteria on the cup, the hot water would have killed the bug, especially if you microwaved the water. Staph can not live in temperature much lower or higher the 98.6 degree.
More importantly, even though you were wearing gloves, that only protects you. When you touched the faucet to turn on the tap water, you may have contaminated the faucet. So the next person to use the sink may carry the MRSA to an unsuspecting patient with a new surgical wound. Gloves especially stay in the room!
Hope this helps. Good luck in school. I would suggest a microbiology class if you have not had one.
Agree. Great post, so much more thorough than anything I said. :)
Agree with tho old nurses. If you've worked in the hospital for more than a few years you can just about bet that you've already got mrsa. Won't be long before it will be considered "normal flora ". By the way, don't run out and try to get tested or cultured for it. I've known nurses who got nasal swabs "just to see" and sure enough they had it. The problem- the manager found out and they had to take time off from work to get it treated even though they weren't sick. Can't work with sick patients if you have it. Don't sweat it. Believe me, in this business you're going to be exposed to a lot of things and not even know it. Good luck.
I work in LTC and we have several MRSA residents. It seems most of these residents also have orders to check O2 sats every shift. So there we are continually bringing stuff in and out of isolation and having to use this same equipment on non-MRSA residents. What's the best thing to do in this situation? Thanks
I work in LTC and we have several MRSA residents. It seems most of these residents also have orders to check O2 sats every shift. So there we are continually bringing stuff in and out of isolation and having to use this same equipment on non-MRSA residents. What's the best thing to do in this situation? Thanks
Germicidal cleaning between EVERY use. Prime example as to why everyone in LTC facilities has MRSA. Address the issue with management.
Kids are more likely to get MRSA from being around other kids. However, there are lots of bugs out there. NEVER bring anything out of a room, unless it is in a trash bag, regardless of what the patient has for a diagnosis. You could be spreading disease all over the place. You did well to wash your hands. That is the single most impt. thing you can do to prevent spread of disease.
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
Awesome to let folks remember and realize you DON'T take items out of a room like that...even in long term facilities. It helps to really remember universal precautions and assume that EVERYTHING in a patients room (of course that includes the patient..LOL!) is contaminated by something horrible..that ususally keeps you from taking things out and protecting yourself well!
However my thought is that it is a contact spread deal...so your risk was low. And if that water is like my hot water taps..that stuff is HOT! (you are more likely to get a severe burn that MRSA) I am sure if there was any bacteria in there, it would have been hot enough to denature and kill a microbe (there are a some that can live through that, but not very commonplace). Bacteria doesn't like scalding wet heat..tends to harm their cell walls quite a bit. I wouldn't worry too much.
We all get into routines, and it is always a great reminder for folks to consciously make themselves wash their hands well entering/leaving a room, don't take items out of a room without puting them in a bag or what not, when making a bed or contact with linens/clothing to make sure they are held out AWAY from your clothing/body (that can be a toughie!), and think before you ever leave the room...okay is everything set up correctly..call light, phone, bed positioned correctly...(I do that while I am about to wash my hands..in fact I go over the checklist by the sink by habit now...and it is funny, I do it so often that when I pass a sink at home it happens too! LOL!!!!!).
Actually, optimal growth for Staph aureus is 98.6 F (37 C) but it can survive and grow from 39-115 F (4-46 °C). It can survive a salt concentration of up to 20%.
My previous career was in the food industry, so I know this. Staphs LOVES mayonnaise! (and most foods) That is why it is never a good idea to eat your peanut butter, ham and mayo sandwich that has been incubating in the front seat of you car for two days.
But, I digress. I think it highly unlikely moliuchick could be inoculated with staph by inhaling water vapors. Water generally boils between 200-212 degrees, depending on elevation. Coffee is generally served at 190 degrees. And all cells are lysed by microwaves.
More likely, as many other posters pointed out: moliuchick inoculated every surface she touched with MRSA by leaving the room with her gloves and the cup, and not washing her hands.
i got the impression from reading this thread that it is possible some people think of staph as a nose germ. it is a skin germ, not that it cannot be in other parts of the body. staph just likes skin. i suppose the reason i am compelled to bring it up is that i would not want anyone to have the mistaken idea that one cannot carry staph germs around on their hands after contact, and give them to other people, because they can. i think someone said something like, "staph is the number on nose germ," or something. the other thing that kind of worried me was the implication or statement that staph is in only 20-30 percent of the population. i believe that the incidence is higher in the hospital population (also in intavenous drug users and people with insulin dependent diabetes and healthcare workers, and a few other things-- people on dialysis, etc). the CDC has info about this, better info than i have. i suppose i feel like i want to point this out because while i do not think mrsa should get in the way of pt care, by healthcare workers being fearful of germs, i still don't like the idea of people getting mrsa in their nose or anywhere else if it can be helped.
I work in LTC and we have several MRSA residents. It seems most of these residents also have orders to check O2 sats every shift. So there we are continually bringing stuff in and out of isolation and having to use this same equipment on non-MRSA residents. What's the best thing to do in this situation? Thanks
rngreenhorn
317 Posts
MRSA means methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylocossus (Staph) normally colonizes the human body. It became methicillin resistant after 50 years of treating Staph infections with Penicillin.
MRSA is present in about 25-30% of the US population. However colonization does not mean you will become sick.
The reason for isolation of MRSA colonized patients is to protect the other patients on the floor. Especially those with compomised immune systems, including surgical wounds. The patient with a MRSA infection can be treated with other antibiotic.
Staph especially loves the nose. That is a number one hang out for staph. However unless you have a open wound in nose or your WBC's is low your will not become sick.
And if there was staph bacteria on the cup, the hot water would have killed the bug, especially if you microwaved the water. Staph can not live in temperature much lower or higher the 98.6 degree.
More importantly, even though you were wearing gloves, that only protects you. When you touched the faucet to turn on the tap water, you may have contaminated the faucet. So the next person to use the sink may carry the MRSA to an unsuspecting patient with a new surgical wound. Gloves especially stay in the room!
Hope this helps. Good luck in school. I would suggest a microbiology class if you have not had one.