MRSA
MRSA (meticillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus) is something that concerns many people, especially those going into hospital.
MRSA is a germ most often carried in the nose and in warm, moist areas such as the armpit and groin. Normally it is harmless and people will be unaware that they are carrying it; but it can sometimes cause infections, especially in people who are otherwise unwell or who have a wound or a device such as an intravenous (IV) line or a catheter.
Because MRSA is resistant to (i.e. is not affected by) many common antibiotics, these infections can be hard to treat. Therefore we try to identify those people who are carrying MRSA before they get an infection and, when we do find MRSA, get rid of it.
All new Royal Marsden patients, and all patients who are admitted to the hospital, are tested (“screened”) for MRSA carriage. This test is normally just a swab taken from inside the nose but may also include swabs from other areas. People who are found to be carrying MRSA will normally be prescribed antiseptic washes, nasal ointment and sometimes mouthwashes, and will be given instructions on how to use these most effectively to stand the best chance of removing the MRSA.
People who are carrying MRSA will normally be cared for in a single room and the staff looking after them will often wear gloves and aprons. This should not be taken personally – it is to make sure that the MRSA doesn’t get accidentally passed on to other patients who may be vulnerable to infection. There is normally no need to restrict visiting or contact with healthy people although, as always, visitors should wash their hands or use alcohol hand rub as they leave the room.
Our policy for screening patients and preventing MRSA infection means that The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is fully compliant with the Department of Health’s instruction that all elective admissions to hospital be screened for MRSA carriage.
- MRSA screening and control policy (pdf, 200kB)
C difficile
Clostridium difficile, often shortened to
C difficile or
C diff, is another infection that can worry people going into hospital. It can cause diarrhoea, especially when it infects people who have had antibiotics, and it can sometimes cause very serious illness. Controlling it can be difficult because the germ produces spores which can remain in the environment for long periods of time.
High standards of cleaning are needed to remove it, so areas where patients may be particularly at risk or where someone has the infection are cleaned with chlorine-containing products that destroy the spores. Hand hygiene is also very important – hands must be washed with soap and water to remove the spores as they are not killed by the alcohol hand rub.
In order to reduce the risk of
C difficile infection even further, we closely examine key factors from every new case to ensure that everything that should have been done was done, and to identify where we can do even more in future.
If you are diagnosed with
C difficile infection or suffer symptoms that could be due to
C difficile you will be cared for in a single room and staff will wear gloves and aprons. Again, this is to prevent any infection spreading to other vulnerable people and should not be taken personally.
Other infections
As well as reducing the risks from MRSA and
C difficile, the precautions we have in place will reduce the risk from other infection as well.
Occasionally even stronger precautions are needed; people whose immune systems have been particularly badly affected by their disease or treatment will be nursed in a single room in ‘protective isolation’ in order to reduce contact with infectious microorganisms.