Over the last 50 years MRSA infection became a very serious threat to the lives of the patients in hospitals, particularly in critical care settings. MRSA, or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus is a type of “staphylococcus aureus bacteria that can be transferred from person to person via bedding, clothing, and other everyday objects that are touched by a patient. MRSA is a type of bacteria that can live in the environment for a long period of time unless removed by cleaning with specific substances” (Robinson, Edgley, Morrell, 2014). This infection is particularly dangerous to inpatients after they undergo invasive procedures because in general they have a higher risk of developing “severe illness if MRSA reaches the bloodstream” (bacteraemia) …show more content…
Patients with known MRSA found on a clinical specimen in the six months prior to their ICU admission were excluded from this study (Marshall et al., 2013 p. 2). 868 female patients and 1315 male patients were included in the first (control) phase of this study. 841 female and 1355 male patients were involved in the 2nd phase. The average age of the patients in the first phase was 57.6 with a range of 15-98 years of age, and average age of 57.7 with a range of 15-101 years of age in the second phase. No specific tools were used in this study. “During both phases of the study, research nurses were employed to ensure compliance with swabbing, contact precautions and isolation/cohorting as well as data collection. During most of the study, this involved seven days per week of nursing time” (Marshall et al., 2013 p.2). The samples were collected by “completing nose, throat, axilla and groin swabs”(Marshall et al., 2013 p.2). These samples were collected on admission, on Mondays, Thursdays and at discharge. The collection was performed onsite in the ICU at the bedside. Cultures completed in both phases and infections were identified by the research nurse with review …show more content…
This study was also quantitative, with MRSA screening as independent variable. Similar to the previous study methods were used in this research, including monitoring post-surgical ICU patients that received nasal swab prior to procedure. The population in this study included patients post-operatively treated in the ICU. Exclusion criteria was not stated. The study analyzed data collected from observation of 614 patients treated in ICU between April of 2006 and March of 2011. The patient population was divided into two groups: MRSA positive (31 patient with average age of 73.5 +/- 1.9 years) and MRSA negative (583 patients with an average age of 68.3 +/- 0.5 years). MRSA positive group included 23 male and 8 female patients, while there were 390 male and 193 female patients in MRSA negative group. The researchers then compared the incidence of postoperative MRSA infection in both groups. All postoperative subjects of the study received nasal swab consecutively processed using double nutrient agar with chemical sensitivity to identify MRSA. Patients identified to be MRSA positive were treated with appropriate antibiotics. Empiric antibiotic treatment was used in cases when MRSA was strongly suspected but culture results were not yet proven to be positive. Other than tools like nasal swabs, agar
Rello, J., Kollef, M., Diaz, E. and Rodriguez, A. (2010). Infectious Diseases in Critical Care. 2nd ed. Boston: Springer US.
Facts of the victim’s case are laid out one by one, as if clues to a whodunit game where the culprit is ubiquitous MRSA. Descriptions are lengthy and vivid, describing everything from the patient’s painful symptoms to gruesome surgical procedures that will upset even the toughest of stomachs. This is definitely not the book to read before a large meal. The book reads like an episode of Frontline, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the end.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013), MRSA is easily transmitted from person to person or from touching materials or surfaces that had previous contact with the infection. Using the implementation of infection control along with patient education will help in the decrease of the spread and help in the prevention in MRSA as well as get patients involved in their own care. The purpose of this paper is to present the problem of MRSA as well as include the rationale and history, review the proposed solution, integrate an implementation plan, summarize the literature review, establish an implementation plan, use a nursing theory to support the implementation plan, use a change theory to support the implementation plan, discuss how the project will be evaluated, and create a dissemination
The first observed cases of HA-MRSA occurred in the 1960’s. Since then, the overall proportion of staph bacteria that are methicillin resistant has increased over two-fold since 1992. (CDC 2013) In 2005, a conservative estimate of hospital patients that developed cases of invasive MRSA was close to 100,000; the number of fatalities was 20,000 deaths. The majority, or at least 65% of health care associated infections is attributed to MRSA. The mortality for hospital blood stream infections such as MRSA is 25% (Klevens et. al 2007).
CLABSIs are not confined to one unit of nursing care and there are many precipitating factors that may contribute to the development of a CLABSI. Often times these lines are placed in emergent situations in the emergency department (ED) and there may be a break in sterile technique. However a study conducted by Smith, Egger, Franklin, Harbrecht, and Richardson (2011) found a higher incidence of CLABSIs among intensive care unit (ICU) patients compared to those patients whose CLs were placed either in the ED or operating room (OR). This indicates further education for ICU s...
Nurses should take a leading role in reducing the impact of disease on patients and influence the expansion of evidence based infection prevention practice. Antimicrobial resistance prevention must remain a huge priority. In times of opposing priorities concerning patient safety, progress has been made in undertaking these bacteria’s and infections. The outlook of a near future without helpful antibiotics should not be dismissed, and all us in positions of influence should encourage and educate the conscientious use of antimicrobials seriously and do what we can to stop the situation from spreading.
Kleinpell RM, Munro CL, Giuliano KK. Targeting Health Care–Associated Infections: Evidence-Based Strategies. In: Hughes RG, editor. Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2008 Apr. Chapter 42. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2632/
There was a case that I observed a fellow nurse admitting a patient with MRSA. The patient had Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus also known as MRSA to a surgical wound. Isolation precautions were used per facility protocol causing concern and questions from the patient and family.
Patient education is of paramount importance if MRSA is to be reduced to its lowest minimum. According to Noble 2009, patient’s education stands a critical component of managing MRSA therefore; nurses are expected to be prompt in educating patients on specific measures in limiting and reducing the spread of MRSA by person to person contact. (Noble, 2009) The specific measures includes definition of MRSA, mode of transmission, the damage it can do to the body, specific treatments available and the process of treatment. This is to help the patient take part in the care. Noble 2009 explains that during care giving nurses and all other healthcare provider involve in giving care to a patient should communicate to patient all the precaution that will prevent the transmission of MRSA, and also giving the scientific rationale for the use of any precaution that is been used in the cause of care giving. (Noble, 2009.)
However, increasing antibiotic resistance patterns among intensive care unit pathogens, cultivated by empiric-broad spectrum antibiotic regimens, characterizes the variable concerns. Recent literature point that antibiotic use before the development of VAP is associated with increased risk for potentially resistant gran-negative infections and Methcillin-resistant Staphylococcus auereus (MRSA)
Hospital acquired infections are spread by numerous routes including contact, intravenous routes, air, water, oral routes, and through surgery. The most common types of infections in hospitals include urinary tract infections (32%), surgical site infections (22%), pneumonia (15%), and bloodstream infections (14%). ( book). The most common microorganisms associated with the types of infections are Esherichila coli, Enterococcus species, Staphylococcus auerus, Coagulase-negative staphylococci, or Pseudomonas aeruginosa.(secondary) Urinary tract infections occur when one or more of microorganisms enter the urinary system and affect the bladder and/or the kidneys. These infections are often associated improper catheterization technique. Surgical site infections occur after surgery in the part of the body where the surgery took place. These infections may involve the top of the skin, the tissue under the skin, organs, or blood vessels. Surgical site infections sometimes take days or months after surgery to develop. The infections can be cause by improper hand washing, dressing change technique, or improper surgery procedure. Pneumonia can also become a hospital acquired infection. Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a type of lung in...
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) have been a persistent problem in the United States for decades. Yang et al. (2013) stated that “Nosocomial infections or healthcare-associated infections are defined as a localized or systemic condition resulting from an adverse reaction to the presence of an infectious agent or its toxin. There must be no evidence that the infection was present or incubating at the time of admission to the acute care setting” Also if infections occur within 48 hours of being discharged from the hospital or a healthcare setting, then it is considered as a healthcare-associated infection (Daud-Gallotti et al., 2012). Healthcare-associated infections can be easily prevented, however they are held accountable for hundreds of thousands of deaths for the past few decades. They have been known to increase rates of drawn-out hospital stays, cost, morbidity, mortality, and readmission to the hospital (Montoya & Mody, 2011). When antibiotic-resistant organisms (AROs) are involved with these types of infections, the rates are expanded even further and usually cause many more fatalities (Srigley, Lightfoot, Fernie, Gardam & Muller, 2013).
Healthcare-associated infections are a big issue in hospitals. They are the highest cause of morbidity and mortality rates in hospitalized patients. Due to increasing prevention methods, there has been a decrease in infections, but there is still a way to go. In detail, common infections are central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter care urinary tract infections, surgical site infections and transmission of Clostridium difficile.
Infection control is very important in the health care profession. Health care professionals, who do not practice proper infection control, allow themselves to become susceptible to a number of infections. Among the most dreaded of these infections are: hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Another infection which has more recently increased in prevalence is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). These infections are all treated differently. Each infection has its own symptoms, classifications, and incubation periods. These infections are transmitted in very similar fashions, but they do not all target the same population.
MRSA is a major source of healthcare associated diseases, increased hospital mortality, and leading surgical site infection (Jennings, Bennett, Fisher, & Cook, 2014, p. 83). With the implementation of active surveillance screening and contact isolations program, an overall decrease in hospital associated MRSA infections has been observed (Jennings, Bennett, Fisher, & Cook, 2014, p. 83). The author of this paper will identify a theory that can be used to support the proposed intervention i.e., reduce the transmission of MRSA by active screening in patients at high-risk for MRSA on admission. This paper will then describe the selected theory, and rational for the selection, and how this theory will support the proposed solution and how to incorporate this theory in this project.