Quote From: maryicpMRSA is not just a hospital issue. In fact, more patients coming in to our hospital have MRSA on their skin before they are ever admitted. Many hospitals do screening cultures for MRSA and other organisms. It is through these screening cultures that we know that community acquired MRSA is a far greater risk than hospital acquired MRSA. Preventing MRSA is simple. Wash your hands or use alcohol based hand sanitizers. If you are in the hospital, ask your health care workers including your physician to wash their hands. Also, MRSA is not resistant to all antibiotics. There are many antibiotics that are effective to treat it.
"Control Measures" are mandatory and implemented in all health care facilities. The reason health care workers wear "hazmat gear" (Personal Protective Equipment) protects everyone from infection including the patient in that bed.
I am disappointed that the show was so negative and lacked good advice on how to protect yourself and others. You can get MRSA anywhere. It is at grocery stores, church or anywhere people go. Bottom line-WASH YOUR HANDS!!! I don't feel that this show was helpful to educate people about MRSA because it was incomplete.
Normal cleaners kill the MRSA bacteria. Normal cleaning practices are sufficient to protect everyone.
I heard that Dr. Phil call Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) "Biohazard suits" which isn't right. If you have a pt that has MRSA in a wound, you wear a disposable gown and gloves along with using a disposable stethoscope and blood pressure cuff. If MRSA is found in the respiratory tract,you wear a mask as well.
If youre in the community, use common sense. Cover your wounds and don't pick at them. Don't share towels and razors. If you work at a hospital, keep your nails cut short, as nails harbor microorganisms. If you have a bump or boil that doesn't go away, don't panic, but see the doctor, it could be anything from MRSA to a tumor. Blah, blah, blah, use common sense (or maybe it's not that common anymore). Don't you just love those panicky idiots who thrive on the drama? Ugh!
