MRSA Carrier- Help me understand...

[all4schwa]

I really dont fully understand what this means.

For instance, if it's the nurse, isn't that like being the Typhoid Mary? Is it really lifelong? Does that mean that infections will just occur spontaneously? What about your loved ones, would they need to stay away from you? Wouldn't pts be at risk by being cared for by said nurse?

Thanks in advance guys!

[steelcityrn, RN]

I believe that means you are harboring the bacteria on your body, usually in your nares. This would be a mild strain, usually would not be harmful to you unless your own immune system would become compramised. It would have to become stronger and yourself ill before it would be a danger to others who are compramised.

[gr8rnpjt, RN]

I believe that means you are harboring the bacteria on your body, usually in your nares. This would be a mild strain, usually would not be harmful to you unless your own immune system would become compramised. It would have to become stronger and yourself ill before it would be a danger to others who are compramised.

My DD and her little family are dealing with this. Her husband is in the military but it is felt that she contracted it from her DH's brother 2 years ago when they came home for Christmas. My SIL's brother was hospitalized for MRSA pneumonia. 2 months after they got home she developed several abscesses on her thighs. cultures were + for MRSA. Last year, her DH developed one big abscess on the back of his calf, and cx were + for MRSA. Since that time, my grandaughter who is going to be 2 this month has had MRSA abscesses on her buttocks 3 different times. To make matters worse, DD just gave birth to a new son, and my DD thinks my granddaughter has gotten them again!.

They went through a whole course of antibiotics and nares treatment during my DD's pregnancy since my granddaughter had the abscesses on her buttocks and my DD had an abscess on her pregnant belly!. The whole family had to take the course of treatment at the same time, but DD says my SIL did not take the whole course of treatment, so now, they are dealing with it with a new baby in the mix!

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Here's a good article that briefly dedines colonization, carriers, etc. http://goapic.org/MRSA.htm

There are probably millions of people walking around with asymptomatic colonizations. Remember though your micro - you have to have a susceptable host, route of admission, etc. etc. I've come into contact with probably thousands or MRSA infected patients over the years, and so far so good, because natural human barriers to defense come into play. Also I follow good procedurs, particularly handwashing. However, should I have altered skin integrity, have altered immunity, or be on antibiodics that might cause a strain to overgrow then I might worry.