Precautions to prevent MRSA include hand washing, isolating when necessary, wearing protective clothing, sanitizing medical equipment, and covering the site of infection. Contact precautions, such as wearing protective clothing, can help prevent the spread of MRSA. Sanitizing medical devices and surfaces is also important. MRSA patients may need to limit contact with others if the infection cannot be covered.
There are many precautions a person can take to prevent the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is a serious bacterial infection. Among the best MRSA precautions are hand washing, isolating when necessary, and wearing protective clothing. Sanitizing medical equipment can also help prevent the spread of this potentially deadly infection. Covering the site of a MRSA infection can also prove helpful.
One of the best MRSA precautions is hand washing. When an individual is caring for a person with MRSA, washing hands with soap and water after touching blood or bodily fluids is essential. Also, the bacteria that cause this condition are not visible to the naked eye. Therefore, it is important to wash your hands often, even if there is nothing visible on your hands. For example, washing hands after touching the skin of a person with MRSA or handling their clothes and bedding can help prevent the infection from spreading.
If a MRSA patient must be isolated, contact precautions can help prevent its spread. For example, a person entering the hospital room of a MRSA patient may be required to wear protective clothing, such as a mask or face shield; safety goggles; surgical gloves; and a surgical gown. Face shields and masks are used to keep airborne bacteria from making their way into the body through a person’s mucous membranes. Other clothing is used to prevent skin-to-skin contact which could lead to the transmission of bacteria. Once the visitor or medical staff member leaves the patient room, this protective clothing is usually disposed of as hazardous waste.
MRSA best precautions may include those related to sanitizing medical devices used in the treatment of MRSA patients. Indeed, medical devices can be sanitized, even if they have only been stored in the same room as a patient diagnosed with MRSA. Additionally, surfaces in the MRSA patient room and things like wheelchairs and gurneys need to be disinfected before being used with other patients or by the general population.
Taking MRSA precautions may also limit the contact some MRSA patients can have with uninfected individuals. In general, it is considered acceptable for a patient with MRSA to have contact with others and participate in regular activities if the site of the MRSA infection can be covered. If infected areas cannot be covered, however, doctors may recommend limiting contact with others or even isolating the patient. This is also true in cases where a person is producing sputum that may contain bacteria or is leaking bodily fluids.
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