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Adapted from
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/mrsa/
MRSA can be acquired by direct skin-to-skin contact with a person
with a skin or wound infection.
It can also be transmitted by contact with shared items or objects
that have come into contact
with someone else's infection (e.g., towels, used bandages).
What are the 5 C’s that make MRSA skin infections more common?
- Crowding
- Contact with skin
- Compromised skin
(i.e., cuts or abrasions)
- Contaminated items and
surfaces
- Cleanliness problems
(lack of washing or washing facilities)
Locations where the 5 C's are common include schools,
dormitories, military barracks,
households, correctional facilities, and daycare centers.
Common places in your office are colonized with Bacteria
are telephone, mobile phone, computers, keyboard, coffee rooms and
women's hand bag. These bacteria are rapidly becoming resistant to
disinfectants. Wiping surface using strong antibacterial solutions
must be discouraged because the bacteria are said to become more
virulent. Using soap water or bleach helps but you must not wipe the
surface twice.
If I have MRSA, can I go to work?
Unless directed by a doctor or other healthcare provider, workers
with MRSA infections can go to
work.
- Oregon law bars food handlers
and healthcare workers from going to work when they
have wound drainage ("pus") that cannot be covered and contained
with a clean, dry
bandage
- In general, workers with
active infections should be excluded from activities where skin to-skin contact is unavoidable until their infections are healed.
What should I do if I think I have a staph or MRSA infection?
See your healthcare provider for diagnosis and ask for advice
about returning to work.
If I have staph / MRSA skin infection, what can I do to
prevent the spread of MRSA at work and at home?
You can prevent spreading staph or MRSA skin infections to others
by following these steps:
- Cover your wound. Keep
wounds that are draining or have pus covered with clean, dry
bandages. Follow your healthcare provider's instructions on proper
care of the wound..
- Bandages or tape can be discarded with the regular trash.
- Clean your hands. You,
your family, and others in close contact should clean their
hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand
sanitizer, especially after
changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.
- Do not share personal
items. Avoid sharing personal items such as uniforms,
clothing,
towels, washcloths or razors.
What should I do if I suspect that my uniform, clothing, personal
protective equipment or workstation has become contaminated with
MRSA?
- Wash uniforms, clothing,
sheets and towels that become soiled with water and laundry
detergent. Drying clothes in a hot dryer.
- Clean contaminated equipment
and surfaces with detergents or Environmental Protection
- Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectant. Because cleaners and
disinfectants can be
- irritating, it is important to read the instruction labels.
- More detailed information for
workers and managers responsible for cleaning can be
- found in the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) 10 Step
Guide to Green Cleaning
- Implementation.
The EPA
http://www.h2e-online.org/docs/h2e10stepgreenclean-r5.pdf
- provides a list of EPA-registered products effective against MRSA:
http://epa.gov/oppad001/chemregindex.htm.
What can my boss (employers) do to prevent the spread of staph or
MRSA at the workplace?
- Ensure that facilities and
supplies for hand washing are available and encourage workers
to practice good hygiene
- Ensure that routine
housekeeping in the workplace is followed
- Ensure that contaminated
equipment and surfaces are cleaned with detergent-based
cleaners or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered
disinfectants
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according to preliminary studies led by Lucia Caballero from
Manchester Metropolitan University in England
Other FAQs About MRSA
Who gets staph or MRSA infections?
Approximately 25% to 30% of the population is colonized (when
bacteria are living harmlessly on
the skin or in the nose, but do not invade the skin to cause boils
or pimple, or get into the
bloodstream to cause serious infections) with staph bacteria.
Staph infections, including MRSA,
occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare
facilities (such as nursing
homes and dialysis centers) but can affect anyone including those
who are otherwise healthy.
How common are staph and MRSA infections?
Staph bacteria are the most common causes of skin infection in the
United States.
What does a staph or MRSA infection look like?
Staph bacteria, including MRSA, can cause skin infections that may
look like a pimple or boil and
can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage.
How can I prevent staph or MRSA skin infections?
Practice good hygiene:
- Keep your hands clean by
washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcoholbased
- hand sanitizer.
- Keep cuts and scrapes clean
and covered with a bandage until healed.
- Avoid contact with other
people's wounds or bandages.
- Avoid sharing personal items
such as uniforms, razors, or other items that directly contact the
skin
Are staph and MRSA infections treatable?
Many staph skin infections may be treated by draining the abscess
or boil and may not require
any antibiotics or medication. Some skin boils or abscesses drain
by themselves; if not, drainage
should be done by a healthcare provider.
The type of MRSA that causes skin infections is still treatable by
other types of commonly used
antibiotics. If your healthcare provider gives you an antibiotic,
take all of the doses, even if the
infection is getting better, unless your doctor tells you to stop
taking it. Do not share antibiotics
with other people or save unfinished antibiotics to use at another
time.
If after visiting your healthcare provider the infection is not
getting better after a few days, contact
them again. If other people you know or live with get the same
infection tell them to go to their
healthcare provider.
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