The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital takes MRSA and healthcare associated infections extremely seriously. We are committed to reducing infections and giving our patients high quality health care.
Patient MRSA screening: In line with national guidance, all relevant elective patients are screened for MRSA in accordance with our MRSA screening policy.
There are many people in the community who may have the MRSA germ without showing any symptoms. By screening (performing a simple swab test) before your operation, we can find out who is carrying the germ and provide treatment for you before you are admitted to hospital or for patients admitted as an emergency commence treatment soon after admission
As part of the pre-operative process, patients will be routinely screened for MRSA. This helps to prevent the spread of the germ and lowers the risk of complications occurring because of it whilst you are recovering.
What is MRSA?
MRSA stands for (M) Methicillin (R) Resistant (S) Staphylococcus (A) Aureus.
There are lots of germs on our skin and in the environment around us. Most of them are harmless, some are beneficial and a very small proportion can cause harm.
Staphylococcus aureus is a common germ that is found on the skin and in the nostrils of about a third of healthy people. It can cause infections. MRSA are varieties of Staphylococcus aureus that have developed resistance to Methicillin (a type of penicillin) and some other antibiotics that are used to treat infections.
MRSA Colonisation
Most people who have MRSA are colonised. This means that MRSA is present on the surface of the skin and does not cause any harm to the person. People who are colonised will have no signs or symptoms of infection and feel well.
However, if you come into hospital to undergo a procedure, there may be an opportunity for MRSA to enter the body. This is why patients found to be colonised with MRSA will be given a skin wash to remove the germ from the skin and nasal ointment to remove MRSA from the nose.
What tests are done to look for MRSA?
The nurse will take a swab from your nose and other skin sites depending on the type of surgery you are having. This involves a cotton bud swab being placed in and around your nose or on surfaces of your skin or wounds. The test will not hurt but might feel a little uncomfortable. The swab/s is then sent to the laboratory for testing.
How 'long will the swab results take?
The results usually take 3-4 working days.
What happens next?
If your swabs are found to be MRSA negative (this means no MRSA was detected) you will not hear from us.
You should follow the instructions given to you about your admission to hospital for your operation.
If your swabs are found to be MRSA positive, the hospital will contact you, your General Practitioner (GP) and your Consultant. You will be asked to go to your GP/Practice nurse to obtain an antiseptic body wash to use once a day and an ointment to apply to your nostrils 3 times daily, i.e. use both treatments for 5 consecutive days.
You will then need to contact the practice nurse at your GP surgery to be re-swabbed.
What happens if I still have MRSA after treatment?
If your swab results remain positive you will be restarted on the antiseptic body wash and the nasal ointment 4-5 days prior to admission and then admitted to a side room on the ward (if available). Your consultant or the infection control nurse will discuss this with you.
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