Is it safe to visit family member with mrsa & staph infection at their home?

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I am a new nursing student, and we have only briefly touched up of on MRSA in my previous pathophysiology class, and although I have read all about it in my textbook, I want to know if it is safe to visit my in-law's house. My husband's grandmother has other underlying pathologies that I do not know all the details about because I feel it would be rude to ask, but their family has made a full disclosure that she has had MRSA and an ongoing staph infection in the foot that leaks sometimes around the house. The infection has been going on for a couple of years. The family members do their best to keep their house clean and sterile, and have invited us over several times for family events, but we refrain from going because we have a young 2 year old son, and I am afraid of him being the most immunocompromised. Am I taking the right preventive measures? Or is MRSA not that serious?

New Amateur Nursing Student,

Please Enlighten Me Please.

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Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

This would be bordering on asking medical advice. As far as your two year old, we don't know his immunity so we cant really say if he would be prone to developing a MRSA infection. However, think about this. Many people have MRSA on their skin all the time. It is an opportunistic infection. The bacteria from the skin enters the wound and then a staph infection develops. But because many people are carrying MRSA without any active infection, they dont know they are carriers. They then go grocery shopping and touch elevator buttons and eat at restaurants. Hopefully you see where this is going. You chance of coming in contact with MRSA in the house of something who is infected but cleans up is probably not much greater than the likelihood of picking up some MRSA while out doing everyday things. You may already be carrying MRSA for all you know. Just some food for thought.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Did you consider consulting your child's pediatrician? Most healthy 2 year olds, especially if up to date on vaccines are NOT immune compromised. Especially if attending daycare or preschool. If anything they are little formites more of a danger to the adult colonized with drug resistant bacteria than the other way around.

In addition it is impossible to keep a home sterile, clean yes.

Check out the cdc website for updated info on MRSA. Here you go: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Infections | CDC

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Definitely run this past your child's healthcare provider. Per TOS, we cannot provide the necessary medical advice you need.

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