MRSA In Nursing Homes
Posted by Kim on May 15th, 2008 / 
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Nursing homes can expect some new guildlines coming this fall with regards to MRSA and infection control.
While many studies have looked at MRSA in hospitals, “we found no studies that looked at ways of preventing the spread of MRSA in nursing homes for older people,” the reviewers said.
That’s despite nursing home conditions that are ripe for breeding the bacteria, including residents with compromised immune systems living in close proximity and taking multiple medications that can foster bacterial resistance.
Open wounds such as bed sores – a common problem in nursing homes – and the use of catheters, also common, enhance older people’s vulnerability.
Recognizing the importance of the issue, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is updating its MRSA recommendations to “apply more specifically to long-term care settings,” according to Liz Garman, a spokeswoman.
Those new recommendations are due to be released late this summer, she says.
One of the typical things is strict isolation of patients who test positive for this infection. There are not enough single beds in most nursing homes to accommodate this. It will be interesting to see how nursing homes follow up on the recommendations.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I am a CNA who contracted MRSA while working in a LTC Facility. I have always felt that something needed to be done to isolate residents to a certain area of the home. Especially because there were 6-8 other employees that contracted this disease before I did, so it apparently was being spread all over the building.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Sherry that is terrible. I have a couple questions for you on this:
Did you all file worker comp for those infections? And if so, did your employer fight the claims? I’ve heard that most do.
How awful for you and the others. What happened to everyone? We’re you all able to continue to work? I’m pretty ignorant about all this.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:06 am
I suspect that if we all got tested we’d all be positive for MRSA- nursing home, assisted living and hospital aides. Perhaps even home health care aides.
MRSA lives in our noses. It becomes active when we get sick or our immune system isn’t working good. Just because we get sick doesn’t mean we’re gonna come down with a full blown MRSA infested infection though. There is a huge difference between being colonized and being infected.
Sherry I would love to know your employer dealt with this as well. Like Holly, I’ve heard of more than a few nursing facilities that deny claims and fight them tooth and nail. I wonder if, upon employment, everyone should be tested? If positive, treated. If not, re-tested yearly. Like TB, this is a public health problem and it’s even more so in communities where large groups of people reside (nursing homes). I suppose universal precautions might prevent it’s spread but I question that…MRSA lives on door knobs.
May 19th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I doubt one could prove where they actually contracted the MRSA since it is on the rise and like Patti says, we probably all have it, just not active. The key is good handwashing. It is that simple and of course standard precautions. Good luck all!
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:53 am
I suppose that, IF all staff were tested for MRSA upon employment there could be a case here. Standard precautions should protect nursing staff from MRSA. Although I do know a few aides who worked with patients who had trachs, and active MRSA within the trach sites; the patients coughed and spewed debris onto the faces of said aides…several of whom came down with serious respiratory infections within a week. They all filed worker comp and the claims were approved.