Induction Manual

• Overview
• COSHH
• RIDDOR
• Infection Control
• MRSA
• Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Risk Incident Reporting
• Training and Complaint Handling
• Handling Violence and Aggression
• Fire Procedures
• Fire Safety
• Manual Handling
• Lone Worker Training
• Ionising Radiation
• Calidicott Principles
• Health and Safety
• Clinical Governance
• Data Protection
• Good Medical Practice
• Useful Contacts

MRSA

What is MRSA?
The organism Staphylococcus Aureus is found on many individuals skin and seems to cause no major problems. However if it gets inside the body, for instance under the skin or into the lungs, it can cause important infections such as boils or pneumonia. Individuals who carry this organism are usually totally healthy, have no problems whatsoever and are considered simply to be carriers of the organism.

The term MRSA or Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus is used to describe those examples of this organism that are resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Methicillin was an antibiotic used many years ago to treat patients with Staphylococcus Aureus infections. It is now no longer used except as a means of identifying this particular type of antibiotic resistance.

Individuals can become carriers of MRSA in the same way they can become a carrier of ordinary Staphylococcus Aureus, which is by physical contact with the organism. If the organism is on the skin then it can be passed around by physical contact. If the organism is in the nose or is associated with the lungs rather than the skin then it may be passed around by droplets spread from the mouth and nose. We can find out if and where Staphylococcus Aureus is located on a patient by taking various samples, sending them to the laboratory and growing the organism. Tests done on any Staphylococcus Aureus grown from such specimens can then decide how sensitive the organisms is to antibiotics and if it is a Methicillin Resistant (MRSA) organism. These test usualy take 2-3 days.

Why bother with MRSA?
MRSA organisms are often associated with patients in hospitals, but can also be found on patients not in a hosiptal. Usually it is not necessary to do anything about MRSA organisms. However if MRSA organisms are passed on to someone who is already ill, then a more serious infection may occur in that individual.When patients with MRSA are discovered in a hsopital, the hospital will usually try to prevent it from passing around to other patients. This is known as infectious control.

How do we prevent the spread of MRSA?
Measures to prevent the spread of organisms from one person to another are called isolation or infection control. The type of infection control or isolation required for any patient depends on the organism, where the organism is found on an individual and the patient. The most important type of isolation required for MRSA is what is called Contact Isolation. This type of isolation requires everyone in contact with the patient to be very careful about hand washing after touching either the patient or anything in contact with the patient. If the organism is in the nose or lungs it may also be necessary to have the patient in a room to prevent spread to others by droplet spread. Because dust and surfaces can become contaminated with the organism, cleaning of surfaces are also important. This usually occurs after the patient leaves the hospital.

If a number of patients are infected with the same organism it is possible to nurse them in the same area. On occasions for the sake of other patients it may be necessary to move carriers of MRSA to an isolation unit which specialises in isolating all types of infections to protect other persons. The medical care of such patients will continue in an isolation unit which is well used to caring for all types of medical and surgical problems associated with infections.

What do visitors need to do?
Provided relatives and friends of patients with MRSA are healthy there is no restriction on visiting and it carries no risk. Visitors are not required to wear special clothing BUT we would ask you to help us prevent this organism spreading around NHS by keeping the patients' door closed at all times and always washing your hands whenever you leave the room.