New Safety Measures Help Prevent MRSA

Link: New Safety Measures Help Prevent MRSA - News Story - WJAC Johnstown.

At Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown, the staff prepares a patient for the operating room in a much different way than in years past. The changes are a result of the staph infection methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, which has been making headlines as is spreads throughout the Alleghenies in nursing homes, schools and businesses. Anyone is susceptible to the drug-resistant infection, which is why hospitals across the state are stepping up safety measures. Disease experts said MRSA is the most common staph infection in the country and is responsible for 60 percent of all staph infections reported. About 20 to 30 percent of the population has MRSA in their system and, odds are, they don't even know it. Because of those startling statistics, lawmakers in Harrisburg decided it was time to act -- and that means changes for hospital stays. The increased safety procedures are part of Act 52, which is a mandate from Harrisburg to better report the cases of staph infections and help prevent them. "Harrisburg has said high-risk patients have to be screened. It's up to us to determine who the high-risk patients are and what do we do about it," said Dr. Louis Schenfeld, an infectious disease expert. For starters, operating room patients now use a special scrub called CHG when they shower before surgery.

Comments

[Martin]

It's nice to see people actually reporting the facts. I couldn't believe how poorly reported the recent announcement about C. difficile deaths was (see http://layscience.net/?q=node/40).

[jacie snow]

I found out that my granddaughter has contactd mersa from her mother who was in the jail This was reported in the St Petersburgs Times paper on Feb 29th because a woman died from it. This whole story is full of woe and unjustice. I do not have custody the other grandmother does and that was full of injustice in the court system. My question is I have a 10 year living with me now and what to know if he would be in any danger living with his cousin. He does have asthma. I want to go for custody of my granddaughter.
Can you give me any info?
Thank you
Jacie Snow