Prevent Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections have decreased among hospital patients. According to a publication released by Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), some investigators attribute the reduced rates of MRSA to efforts made in proper hand-hygiene education programs.
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA); Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA); American Hospital Association (AHA); Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC); and The Joint Commission developed, “The Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals.” A portion of the compendium was dedicated to offering best practice guidelines in preventing MRSA.
The compendium suggests following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or World Health Organization hand hygiene techniques. The following are guided hand hygiene principles based on those leading authorities:
Proper Handwashing with Soap and Water
Follow these instructions for washing with soap and water:
- Remove all jewelry
- Wet your hands and forearms with warm, running water
- Apply regular soap such as VioNexus Antimicrobial Liquid Soap. Lather well.
- Rub your hands vigorously together for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
- Scrub all surfaces, especially thumbs, fingertips, nails, between fingers and in hand creases.
Frequently missed areas when washing hands.
- Rinse well.
- Dry hands with an air dryer or pat rather than rub hands dry with a paper towel to avoid chapping.
- Use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.
- Protect your hands from dermatitis and your patients from communicable diseases by using a moisturizer that does not compromise gloving.
Proper use of an Alcohol-based Hand Sanitizer
Waterless alcohol-based hand sanitizers which have alcohol content of 60% or greater like the VioNexus No Rinse Spray are great alternatives to hand washing when soap and water aren't available. VioNexus No Rinse Spray contains emollients that help prevent skin dryness as well as PCMX which provide residual kill. Using this product can result in less skin dryness and irritation than hand washing.
- Click here for instructions on how to properly use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Best Practices for Environmental Cleaning
The report also recommends the following to reduce MRSA risks via proper environmental cleaning:
- Select appropriate cleaning and disinfecting agents for environmental surfaces.
- Pay special attention to ensuring adequate coverage of environmental surfaces with approved disinfectants at appropriate dilutions for the appropriate amount of contact time.
- Ensure routine cleaning and disinfection of the patient environment with US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered hospital disinfectants such as CaviWipes or CaviCide. These products are ready to use.
- Develop and implement protocols for cleaning and disinfecting environmental surfaces.
- Develop written protocols for daily and terminal cleaning and disinfection of patient rooms.
- Dedicate noncritical patient care items, such as blood pressure cuffs and stethoscopes, to a single patient when they are known to be colonized or infected with MRSA. When this is not possible, ensure adequate cleaning and disinfection of items between patient encounters.
- Increase surface disinfection compliance with convenient products such as the CaviWipes in a flat pack that create an environment where surface disinfectants are more readily available in many areas where bulky canisters cannot fit.
MRSA contaminates the patient’s environment. Pay close attention to cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched and high risk surfaces:
- Over-bed tables
- Bed rails
- Furniture
- Sinks
- Floors
- Stethoscopes
- Blood pressure cuffs
- Carts
- Doorknobs
- Faucet handles
- Stethoscopes
- Otoscopes
