MRSA Precautions-Isolation or standard?

[Not new new]

Once upon a time, in a job long ago, we put EVERYONE with a mrsa dx on contact precautions.

It seems there are now varying ideas as to who needs to be on them vs who doesn't.

Wondering what other facilities to in regards to Mrsa, say in nares, or Mrsa in urine for a continent Pt?

[thenursemandy]

This brings the question, what about visitors and families entering precaution rooms? They don't gown up/glove up, and yet they move all in and out and potentially transmit infection. This should be addressed as the reason for proliferation in drug resistant organisms, at least in the healthcare setting. Nevermind the rooming of admitted patients!

You bring up a valid point. that is something that has bothered me for years and something I never could get a straight answer on. It seems very illogical to let family members and friends visit pts on isolation and then walk out in the hallway, use are restrooms, use our drinking fountain, use our pens and spread pathogens!

[MunoRN, RN]

This brings the question, what about visitors and families entering precaution rooms? They don't gown up/glove up, and yet they move all in and out and potentially transmit infection. This should be addressed as the reason for proliferation in drug resistant organisms, at least in the healthcare setting. Nevermind the rooming of admitted patients!

The difference between visitors and staff is that visitors are coming to see a single patient, while staff go from one patient to another frequently, it's this transmission that is being targeted; patient to patient by a single vector. Unless we're going to assume that all visitors are carriers and gown them at the entrance to the hospital, it's not likely there's a huge advantage in having visitors gown because they are visiting a colonized patient.

[MunoRN, RN]

My facility used to do full contact isolation for everyone with a MRSA hx or colonization (vs active infection). There's little if any evidence that full contact isolation is of any benefit in these patients (as opposed to active infections), yet evidence has shown full contact isolation can be detrimental.

[Mommy&RN, BSN, RN]

My favorites are MRSA of some leg wound, the pt had amputation and still on contact (even if readmitted.

[DawnJ]

All the LTC's I've been in place "home-like setting" and "anti-discrimination" above infection control of C. diff and MRSA. Those residents roam the halls and eat in the dining room just like any one else. And that makes me want to autoclave myself.