MRSA, Mersa, Staph, Staff Infection, Treatment & Symptoms

Public knowledge and perceptions of MRSA

A survey on public knowledge and perceptions of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- Easton et al., 10.1093/jac/dkn447 -- Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

Results: There were 1000 responses. The majority (86%) had heard of MRSA, 59% knew that it is a bacterium and 47% were aware that a healthy person can have MRSA without feeling ill. Those who knew someone who had had MRSA (32%) showed greater knowledge but greater worry about getting MRSA if admitted to hospital. Knowledge of possible treatments was variable, with 7% of respondents thinking of MRSA as untreatable. Across all groups, most estimates of MRSA prevalence were much higher than actual prevalence. Conclusions: Public awareness of MRSA and its treatment was higher than expected, mainly gained through the media, but with considerable gaps in knowledge. Knowing someone with MRSA makes the individual more likely to be knowledgeable about MRSA in general, but more likely to think it is untreatable and almost twice as likely to be worried about contracting MRSA if admitted to hospital. The findings of this survey will inform the development of educational packages for the general public, as well as patients entering hospital and their visitors.

An evaluation of patient satisfaction regarding the care and information provided by infection control nurses relating to MRSA

Link: An evaluation of patient satisfaction regarding the care and information provided by infection control nurses relating to MRSA -- Bellamy 9 (3): 6 -- British Journal of Infection Control.

Meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has attracted much sensationalist reporting from the media in recent years and has contributed to a high level of anxiety among the public in general. In response to this, and bearing in mind the Department of Health's encouragement to involve the patient in improving healthcare services, the Infection Prevention and Control Team (IPCT) at a large acute NHS trust undertook an evaluation of patient satisfaction with their MRSA related care. The aim was to improve the service currently offered by IPCT to inpatients who are either infected or colonised with MRSA. The survey demonstrated a general satisfaction with the current service. However, several recommendations are under review as a consequence of the study, including: {blacksquare} Content of information leaflets {blacksquare} Content of MRSA educational programmes {blacksquare} Ensuring attendance at mandatory infection control education sessions {blacksquare} The method of information provision for patients with MRSA {blacksquare} The amount of protected time for link practitioners. Other trusts may have similar issues, levels of patient satisfaction and patient concerns, and infection prevention and control teams may find it beneficial to review the issues identified through this survey.

Workers learn about MRSA after death of colleague

Link: GoErie.com: Workers learn about disease (VIDEO).

Dozens of Cheri Lyons' co-workers filed into Blasco Library on Friday to learn more about the contagious disease that might have taken her life. More than 160 people attended a seminar on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA, in the library's auditorium. "I have seven children in the public school system, and I'm very interested in their health and welfare," said Julie Bair, 58, who attended the seminar. "I'm interested in learning more about MRSA and how to prevent it. This was very helpful, very informative." The seminar came a day after Lyons, a 32-year-old caseworker at the Erie County Office of Children and Youth, died at Millcreek Community Hospital. Her death has left co-workers concerned about their own safety and the Erie County coroner trying to determine what caused her death.

New bug stars in radio soap

Link: New bug stars in radio soap.

      A NEW bug born in Oldham is sweeping hospital wards across the country. But this "super" bug is the star of a new radio soap opera. And "Billy the Bug" is helping keep the potentially deadly MRSA virus away from hospital wards. The microscopic marvel has already featured in four short plays for Oldham's Radio Cavell, which broadcasts to hospitals in north east Manchester. And his adventures, trying to "visit" a hospital ward, will soon be heard at a further 61 hospital radio stations nationwide. Advertisement your story continues below Billy was the idea of Radio Cavell's Dave McGealy, who also provides the voice of the manic creation. He said: "Billy is just a humorous way to remind people to take care on the wards. "Hopefully his escapades are fun as well as informative."

Infection Control Education Institute: Webinars

Link: Infection Control Education Institute: Webinars.

Courses in the free Webinar series on Preventing and Controlling Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)* are available "on-demand"—giving you the flexibility to take the courses when you want to. All you need is access to the Internet! A new, free Webinar will be added to the series on the last Tuesday of every month. Leading experts and industry gurus will present each Webinar and all registrants will receive a BONUS e-book that offers additional support, information and science on the topic. To view a brief clip of the first Webinar, “A Primer on Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)”, and to see the content included in the BONUS e-book click the link above

1000 attend superbug education hour

Link: Hygiene experts

     Hygiene experts from Yeovil District Hospital have taken their message to supermarket shoppers, following the success of a staff and public education campaign to reduce the spread of potentially-deadly superbugs. The One Hour To Save A Life programme invited all hospital staff - from cleaners to consultants - plus members of the public, to attend 60-minute sessions on infection control, raising awareness that it is "everyone's business" to protect patients from bugs. The campaign, the first of its kind, was so successful that 70 sessions over eight days attracted more than 1,000 people. Organisers then teamed up with Tesco to take the messages out to the local community, with a special awareness stand.

Tourists warned of tattoo risks

Link: Tourists warned of tattoo risks.

Tourists warned of tattoo risks. Irish people travelling abroad have been warned of the dangers of getting a tattoo from unlicensed artists, following an outbreak of the 'superbug' MRSA among people who attended a tattoo parlour in America. According to the Tropical Medical Bureau (TMB), five people, all of whom recently received tattoos from the same unlicensed practitioner in Vermont, developed MRSA. Officials there believe that the bacterial infection is more than likely related to the tattoos. Efforts are now being made to halt the spread of infection.

Patient Briefing: The NHS guidelines

Link: The NHS Identity Guidelines and Web site Guidelines.

Information is an important part of the patient journey and central to the overall quality of each patient’s experience of the NHS. Improving information for patients was a commitment in the NHS Plan (July 2000, chapter 10) and part of the recommendations in the Kennedy Report into the Bristol Royal Infirmary (July 2001, section 2, chapter 23). We need to improve and monitor the information we provide for patients across the NHS. To achieve this, we have developed a toolkit which includes guidance on how to produce written information for patients and a series of templates. We have designed it to make it easier for the NHS to produce good-quality information for patients and assess how it is used. We have developed the toolkit with the Patient Information Forum (a national group representing people who work in the area of patient information in the NHS and the voluntary sector), the Royal National Institute for the Blind and Plain English Campaign. The Centre for Health Information Quality (CHIQ) assessed the feedback from the consultation on the first edition of the toolkit.

A bug's life.

Link: A bug's life..

This article explains what methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is, how it is spread and what the real challenges are in healthcare settings in the UK. It explores the different strains of MRSA and points out the main ways to control their spread. It is intended to be a reference source for all nurses.