People with MRSA
If people have MRSA on their hands, they can transfer it to people and objects that they touch. Other people can then pick it up on their hands and pass it on to others.
How do hospital staff stop MRSA spreading?
Hospital staff take special precautions with patients who have MRSA in order to stop it spreading to other people (see box).
Do patients have to stay longer in hospitalbecause they have MRSA?
Patients who carry MRSA do not usually have to stay longer in hospital. Patients who have an MRSA infection or any other infection may have to stay in hospital until it shows signs of clearing up. Simple hygiene measures reduce the risk of spreading MRSA. Everyone should clean their hands before and after touching patients. Hands can be cleaned with soap and water, or alcohol hand rubs. Staff will wear gloves and aprons when they care for a patient who has MRSA. Patients who have MRSA may be moved to a room on their own or into a separate area for people who have MRSA. They may stay until they have completed their course of antibiotics or they may need to continue treatment when they go home. A patient who has MRSA can go home or be cared for safely in a nursing home or residential home, using simple hygiene measures (see box).
Can MRSA harm friends and family visitingpatients in hospital?
MRSA does not usually affect healthy people. It does not usually harm elderly people, pregnant women, children and babies. But it can affect people who have serious health problems, and people who have chronic skin conditions or open wounds. Visitors can reduce the risk of spreading MRSA to other people if they do not sit on beds and if they clean their hands at the end of their visit. Nurses can give you advice, which reflects the hospital’s policy. You should ask nurses for advice if: • Someone who has a long-term health problem wants to visit a patient who has MRSA. • A patient who has MRSA wants to visit another patient in the hospital.
How is MRSA monitored?
Infection and prevention control teams monitor levels of MRSA in their own hospitals. NHS hospitals in England send information about MRSA bloodstream infections (the most serious MRSA infections) to the Health Protection Agency. The agency publishes figures for individual NHS trusts, for regions and for England (see further information). Hospital staff can compare their own progress in reducing MRSA with progress in other trusts, regionally and nationally.