Discharged with MRSA

Being discharged home from hospital is an important step on the road to recovery. However having MRSA may lead to concerns about being home, in view of the strict measures that have been undertaken at the hospital. Hopefully some of these concerns are answered below.

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Are any special precautions needed at home?

The measures that staff take in hospital, when nursing someone with MRSA, are aimed at reducing the spread of the germ to other vulnerable patients that nurses look after, who are at risk because of their illness or surgery.

At home these risks are reduced. Good personal hygiene such as washing your hands after using the toilet, after blowing your nose, after assisting with personal care for other members of your family, following household tasks such as dusting or bed–making and before eating and drinking will decrease the chance of picking up and transferring the germ to others. Laundry and crockery can be washed as usual, and the daily routine can continue as it used to.

If the affected person has wounds that require dressing, the district nurse, who understands about infection control will usually do this. If a relative is going to undertake this role, guidance on the proper technique should be sought from the Infection Prevention and Control Team at the hospital.

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Could my family and friends get MRSA?

There is a slight possibility that family members can pick MRSA up on their hands. However this is usually short–lived because the next time they wash their hands the germ will be washed away.

MRSA isn’t a problem in healthy people, including babies, children and pregnant mothers. They may carry it for a while but it generally doesn’t cause them any harm.

It is good practice to cover any cuts with a dressing or plaster and good hand washing will help to reduce the risk of picking up the germ on your hands.

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Can I still visit friends, go out shopping or for a meal?

Your usual routine can continue. There is no need to avoid contact with friends or colleagues as long as they are out and about in the community.

Going out for a meal isn’t a problem either. People generally wash their hands several times a day and therefore you pose no risk to them. Getting out and about is important for aiding your recovery from your hospital stay.

There is no need to inform anyone that you have MRSA apart from in the situations detailed in the following questions. Caution should be shown if visiting people in a hospital or residential or nursing home. People in these caring environments are usually unwell or vulnerable. In these instances the Ward Sister or Matron should be informed and advice will be given.

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What happens if I need to be admitted to hospital again in the near future?

If the re–admission is planned, the ward sister or charge nurse should be informed by your GP that you are MRSA positive. It would be courteous to phone the ward yourself a few days before your admission so that bed arrangements can be made.

Should you need admitting as an emergency it is necessary to tell the ambulance crew, if they have been called, and also the staff in casualty or the ward that you are admitted to.

If you are returning to a hospital that you have already been in, the ward should know that you are MRSA positive as the details will be in your notes. The Infection Control Department will also be aware of those people who are MRSA positive.

On admission to the ward you will be allocated a side room where you will be ‘barrier nursed’. This means staff will take precautions such as wearing aprons and gloves when caring for you.

Skin swabs will be taken and sent to the microbiology lab to be processed. If you are found to be still positive you will continue to be nursed in a side room. If you are negative you will be moved to an open ward or be able to come and go freely from the room.

Should you need admitting to a different hospital, your GP may not have had the opportunity to inform the staff prior to your arrival. If at all possible the hospital should be phoned before you go in, to let the staff know, so that a room can be arranged.

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I have an outpatient appointment, do I need to tell anyone that I am MRSA positive?

Yes. It is necessary to inform the receptionist so that the people concerned with your care can be told, enabling them to take the correct precautions.

If you are attending outpatients in the same hospital where you were an inpatient your notes will inform the staff in the clinic that you are MRSA positive.

Your appointment will be at the end of the doctor’s clinic list and you will be shown into a consulting room to wait and this will be where the doctor will see you.

If you are attending an outpatient clinic at a different hospital you should inform the staff by phone a few days before your appointment day so that they can make any necessary arrangements.

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Once affected with MRSA, will I always be affected?

No. Some people in the general population do continue to have MRSA for quite a while. This can be in several places on the body or it can be limited to a particular site, for example the nose or a skin wound. If they are generally healthy it isn’t a problem. People do shed the germ and become negative. You will not know if this happens unless some more swabs are taken.

The Infection Prevention and Control Department in this hospital generally look upon somebody as being clear if they have three sets of swabs, taken a week apart, that are all negative. Occasionally fewer sets of clear swabs may be adequate. You will be advised accordingly.

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