Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, refers to an infection that doesn't respond to treatment with most antibiotics, including penicillin and amoxicillin. A few drugs can treat MRSA, but the best treatment remains prevention, and contact precautions prove the best technique for preventing the spread of MRSA. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have specific procedures for contact precautions for healthcare workers, but patients and families should take the time to learn them as well.
Hand Washing
"Wash your hands" is the mantra of every infectious disease specialist and public health worker. Everyone should should do this frequently throughout the day, but especially if visiting someone in the hospital. MayoClinic.com recommends briskly scrubbing hands with soap and water for 15 seconds and drying with a disposable towel. They also recommend using a separate towel to turn off the faucet. In addition, they recommend using a hand sanitizer which is at least 60 percent alcohol-based when soap and water isn't available.
In the hospital, people shouldn't be afraid to ask caregivers to wash up, either with soap and water or with a hand sanitizer. Many hospitals have placed signs throughout their facilities encouraging patients to ask their health care workers about hand washing every time they enter the room.
Ask Health Care Workers to Glove Up
Infectious disease specialists will call for contact precautions to be put in place for potential MRSA carriers. Once this designation is made, a sign is placed on the door to the hospital room, and all health care workers--doctors, nurses, lab techs, therapists and housekeepers--who go into that room should wash their hands, and then put on gloves, according to guidelines published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If health care workers touch a patient or items used by a patient with contact precautions, they should also wear a gown. Medical personnel should remove gowns and gloves before leaving the room, and they should again wash their hands at that time. Gowns and gloves keep health care staff from spreading the MRSA bacteria from room to room.
Don't Share Personal Items
Recently MRSA has occurred in some communities among otherwise healthy people. According to the Nemours Foundation's TeensHealth website, people who congregate in schools, military barracks and at sporting events proves particularly susceptible to all types of infections, and MRSA is no exception. They recommend not sharing items that come into direct contact with skin, such as razors or uniforms. Shower with soap and water after each sporting event, but don't share towels, and keep athletic wear clean, too. MayoClinic.com recommends washing these items in hot water and using the high heat setting on the dryer.
For shared sports equipment, such as mats or weights, wipe them down between users. Keep all shared surfaces clean by wiping them down frequently, too.
Cover Cuts and Sores
It proves vital to clean and cover open wounds or sores and cover them with a bandage, according to the National Library of Medicine's Medline Plus Encyclopedia. Of course, hand washing remains essential both before and after caring for cuts or sores. Linen or clothing that comes into contact with an open wound should be changed and the soiled items washed in hot water.
