MRSA protocol

[untamable07]

I have a question, once an infant in NICU has tested positive for MRSA are they tested again after antibiotics are finished to see if it's cleared up or once they have it are they kept on contact isolation. Also, if the infant was negative when they arrived in the NICU where could they have gotten it from now that they're testing positive?

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

In our hospital anyone who tests positive for a "significant organism" like MRSA, VRSA or VRE is retested weekly and kept in isolation until they have three consecutive negative results. For us, that isolation is a single patient room with the door closed, gown-mask-gloves PPE for everyone who enters the room, liberal use of hand sanitizer upon entering, after removing gloves and before leaving the room, single-use or dedicated supplies and equipment and signs on the door indicating significant organism precautions.

As to how your NICU baby got MRSA... from a health care provider. Most of us are colonized eventually. So somebody's nose got rubbed and hands weren't washed and now your patient has MRSA.

[PedsAtHeart, LPN]

I totally agree with the above post!

[nocangel2]

Their parents or family members may also be colonized. MRSA is actually more prevelant in the community now than the hospital setting. We make sure if we are treating a child that we treat the family as well. Otherwise they will just recolonize.