What are we doing to protect YOU from Multi Drug Resistant Organisms (MRSA, VRE and others)? At Boone County Hospital (BCH) we are committed to providing our patients with the best care possible. Because health and safety are important to us, BCH is taking part in state and national patient safety programs to reduce the risk of transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
There are bacteria, or germs, both inside and outside the hospital of special concern because they are resistant to antibiotic treatments and can cause infection while patients are receiving medical care. Antibiotic resistance is a growing worldwide problem. A very important bacterium that may be resistant to many antibiotics most commonly used to treat it is Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). MRSA is commonly found on the skin or in the nose.
People can carry these germs in or on their body without symptoms, and they can unknowingly be passed from patient to patient if important steps are not taken. People can also have serious infections caused by these bacteria that require management by your health care provider.
BCH is performing Active Surveillance Screening, utilizing nasal swabs for MRSA on the following groups of patients who are at higher risk of being colonized with MRSA:
* Patients who are residents of a long term care facility.
* Patients who have been a patient in a hospital during the previous 12 months.
* Patients admitted with an indwelling device such as a foley catheter or IV device.
Patients will have the nasal swab performed when they are admitted as an inpatient. If a patient is found to carry MRSA, he/she will be placed in “Contact Precautions” to help us prevent the spread of MRSA in the hospital.
Patients with a history of Multi Drug Resistant Organism (MDRO), such as MRSA and Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), are placed in “Contact Precautions” when they are admitted to BCH. Staff will also swab their nose and previous site of infection to determine if they are still actively infected or colonized with the MDRO.
All BCH staff are required to follow the “Contact Precautions” guidelines in donning gloves and gowns when they enter the patient room that is in “Contact Precautions” and to perform hand hygiene before and after patient care. We strongly encourage all visitors to follow the same guidelines when they enter a patient’s room. Proper hand hygiene, either with soap and water or by the use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, is another way everyone can help prevent the spread of infection. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are located near the doorway in the patient’s room. |