Infection control and bringing bugs home

[sweetstrwbrry1]

I am a new nursing student and I am new to a lot of information especially regarding multi drug resistant organisms. I've really thought about it because I have a situation coming up that I am not sure about that involves my own "family". Right now I am a CNA at a long term care facility and I also am doing clinicals in which I am obviously encountering many MDROs daily. I am clean and make sure to follow the proper protocol.

Now within this next week my boyfriend is having a pilonidal cyst surgery which is most likely going to involve him having an open wound for almost 2 months. I will be changing the dressings twice a day for him. I am nervous because I am exposed to so much at work and shower in the same shower as him at home and things like that. Do I have anything to worry about or am I overreacting? Is it possible to give someone in your family for example mrsa if he has this open wound? He has no one else to change the dressings. As far as showers go, I could stop at my parents on the way home to shower there but I don't know if that is necessary or not. Has anyone ever had this experience where they had to care for a family member at home that would be like this situation?

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

I wouldn't worry about it if you are following proper universal protocol. Wash your hands, change out if your uniform when you get home.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Yes, you are overreacting. You and he already share pretty much the same biome, so no worries about catching anything from him, and he's already been exposed to everything you've brought home. Unless you are a careless worker in a level 3 biohazard research lab, you really don't need to change in the garage, swab your shoes, shower before you touch him or anyone else, or any of a lot of other things I see people talking about on some threads here. Compulsive, not necessary from an IC standpoint.

If you know how to use universal precautions to keep the MDRO in room 302 from spreading to 304 and 306 (hand washing, gloves, standard blood and body fluid precautions) then you know all you need to know about keeping from spreading those bugs to the cafeteria, the inside if your car, and the wound packing in your unfortunate BF's butt.

You will use unsterile exam gloves for this. When you unpack his wound, hold the packing in your gloved hand, pull that glove inside out over it, then pull the glove inside out over that. Now your double-wrapped old dressing and gloves can go in the regular trash -- in home care you don't do biohazard bags. Wash your hands, and put on another pair of exam gloves (sterile not necessary), put in the new packing, turn gloves inside out over themselves, and wash your hands. Done.