Should I be worried contact with Mrsa/VRE patient?

Published

I'm a CNA starting nursing school in Feb.

OK, while working last night I was emptying a resident Foley bag that is connected so her stool/bm comes out of. Its like a drainage bag but a Foley instead. Anyways while putting. I felt a splash by my knees( the part the Foley didn't cover) I changed my gloves and saw a little wet mark. I quickly finished and used a wipe that kills Germs and. Wiped that area it also felt like a splash went in my eye. I informed my nurse and she dlsaid not to worry but I am. I have a rash on my knee from eczema. The pt has vre, C-diff and Mesa in urine and unknown. Should I make a report?

Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

I'm curious why you're getting all this stuff splashed on you. I wear gloves to empty urine bags, colostomy bags, wound drainage bags connected to suction and compression and NEVER get stuff on me (sometimes on gloves but never on me). Maybe your technique needs a little work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Maverick do you really think I wouldn't wear gloves I had PPE just not goggles because they dont have them. Ive been doing this for a while first time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm curious why you're getting all this stuff splashed on you. I wear gloves to empty urine bags, colostomy bags, wound drainage bags connected to suction and compression and NEVER get stuff on me (sometimes on gloves but never on me). Maybe your technique needs a little work.

If you can smell it, then it is more than on you, it is in you. For example: You smell the contents of the colostomy bag because of the fecal particulate matter that gets in your mouth and nose. There is so much "micro" splatter on nurses at the end of the shift, that I'm surprised terrorists don't kidnap nurses and launch them at the enemy as biological weapons. BTW: Gloves only provide 70% protection.

And that baby that comes in to visit and crawls on the floor- can you imagine all the VRE, C-Diff, MRSA and god knows what else, that it is spreading to the rest of the population?

th?id=JN.MXOas5IcCGd6uR3pAGf8dg&pid=15.1&P=0&w=300&h=300

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg, OB, ICU, Public Health Nursing.
I reported it my boss. I guess I can say for certain because it went in my eye. The pt has all kinds of stuff. This makes me want to quit and not be a nurse anymore. Now its a waiting game.

We all make mistakes and we learn from them. Don't beat yourself up. Be most concerned about your health.

Your institution should have goggles although I can't imagine wearing them every time you empty a foley. I wore regular glasses and a number of times they did provide some protection.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.
Maverick do you really think I wouldn't wear gloves I had PPE just not goggles because they dont have them. Ive been doing this for a while first time.

There is nothing in my post that would suggest I don't think you wear gloves. I'm referring to the splashing on your knee and in your eye that seems like excessive exposure.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Maverick it wasn't excessive. I'm always pretty careful. Especially with contact patients. I felt a little splash enough to make me shut that one eye and feel it on my pants. Like I said it was a tiny bit not excessive.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Nurse activist I'm really concerned about my health. Thinking its in my blood, thinking I have Mrsa of the eye and thinking I passed it on. Just really panicky.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Nurse activist I'm really concerned about my health. Thinking its in my blood, thinking I have Mrsa of the eye and thinking I passed it on. Just really panicky.

You are overreacting. You are exposed to mrsa daily simply by leaving your home. It cannot possibly be in your blood. The incidence of ocular infection from a splash is not that high. Get to occupational health. Stop thinking. Read the CDC information online about mrsa & vre

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

I'm confused. You say you were wearing PPE but is splashed on your scrub pants, which leads me to believe you were just wearing gloves, which is only part of the PPE you should be wearing with a patient who has many differing bacterial infections. You should have had a gown and goggles on. If your facility does not offer goggles to wear when emptying catheter then buy your own. Is this worrying truly worth it? Is sitting there thinking you may have gotten something in your eye and now you could have gotten a bacteria worth it?

I fully agree that you are overreacting here, but if you are the type of person to worry and think about it 24/7, then you need to purchase the appropriate gear. That being said, I would never go into a c-diff patient's room without using the proper precautions. MRSA is everywhere. If you are starting nursing school in February, have you not taken a micro class yet? You should have, so you understand the different bacteria and how it affects you as a health care provider. MRSA and Staph are everywhere including your mouth. It's about your own immune system as your body naturally fights it off. The problem lies if your immune system is down for any reason, including a cold, and whether you have any open areas on your body. An eye is an open orifice and is possible exposure, but then again you are not sure and it depends on several other factors.

The number one thing here is to take appropriate precautions when entering a patients room. You need to know the difference in universal, droplet, airborne, and standard precautions. And which gear to wear for each. In the hospital for every patient that had mrsa we gowned up. A lot of people test positive for it, and we always gown up.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.
Maverick it wasn't excessive. I'm always pretty careful. Especially with contact patients. I felt a little splash enough to make me shut that one eye and feel it on my pants. Like I said it was a tiny bit not excessive.

Two points of exposure while emptying a drainage bag is excessive. If that happens frequently your chances of getting an infection go up dramatically. Pretty careful is not careful enough. If you change your technique "especially with contact patients" you are missing the point of universal precautions. It's the people who aren't identified as having an infection that are really the most dangerous. You can't be sloppy around them and "pretty careful" around the people with a known infection.

You must have universal precautions on your mind at all times. The community acquired strain of MRSA does not target the immunocompromised like the hospital acquired version does. Perfectly healthy high school kids get MRSA infections all the time. They are sloppy in their contacts, sharing sports equipment etc. And like PP said you are at much greater risk sharing infections with the general public by using shopping carts, door handles, stairway railings and shaking hands with the pastor.

You will learn a lot in your microbiology class.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg, OB, ICU, Public Health Nursing.

Calm down and don't panic. You just need to make sure it is documented for your protection. We are exposed to a lot of things and most of the time it is fine. However, we need to protect ourselves by documenting what happened. They should have referred you to someone, it is a workman's comp incident. I hope you have had a chance to talk to a medical provider.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg, OB, ICU, Public Health Nursing.
I'm confused. You say you were wearing PPE but is splashed on your scrub pants, which leads me to believe you were just wearing gloves, which is only part of the PPE you should be wearing with a patient who has many differing bacterial infections. You should have had a gown and goggles on. If your facility does not offer goggles to wear when emptying catheter then buy your own. Is this worrying truly worth it? Is sitting there thinking you may have gotten something in your eye and now you could have gotten a bacteria worth it?

I fully agree that you are overreacting here, but if you are the type of person to worry and think about it 24/7, then you need to purchase the appropriate gear. That being said, I would never go into a c-diff patient's room without using the proper precautions. MRSA is everywhere. If you are starting nursing school in February, have you not taken a micro class yet? You should have, so you understand the different bacteria and how it affects you as a health care provider. MRSA and Staph are everywhere including your mouth. It's about your own immune system as your body naturally fights it off. The problem lies if your immune system is down for any reason, including a cold, and whether you have any open areas on your body. An eye is an open orifice and is possible exposure, but then again you are not sure and it depends on several other factors.

The number one thing here is to take appropriate precautions when entering a patients room. You need to know the difference in universal, droplet, airborne, and standard precautions. And which gear to wear for each. In the hospital for every patient that had mrsa we gowned up. A lot of people test positive for it, and we always gown up.

I strongly believe, the employer has a Legal Obligation to provide PPE/goggles.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion