Q. I have heard a lot about Health-Care Associated Infections (HCAI) what is the Trust doing to reduce them.
A. The Trust takes infection prevention and control seriously and has a number of initiatives throughout the organisation to prevent HCAI. These include screening patients for MRSA either on admission (as an emergency) or prior to admission. We provide a clean-safe environment for patients and staff. The Trust has also implemented a number of National Initiatives such as:
- Saving Lives (includes care for indwelling medical devices such as IV lines, urinary catheters etc)
- Cleanyourhands campaign
- Bare below elbows (BBE)
Q. What is MRSA?
A. MRSA is short for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. It is a strain of germ called Staphylococcus aureus which is resistant to an antibiotic called Methicillin. Many people have this germ living on them (commonly in the nose) without it causing any harm. When it does cause an infection it can be treated with a limited number of other antibiotics. A small minority of MRSA infections are in the bloodstream; these are the most serious.
Please see Infection Control Leaflets for Patients for further information.
Q. What is C. Diff.?
A. Clostridium difficile infection is the most important cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea. When certain antibiotics disturb the balance of bacteria in the gut, Clostridium difficile can multiply rapidly and produce toxins which cause illness.
Clostridium difficile infection ranges from mild to severe diarrhoea to, more unusually, severe inflammation of the bowel (known as pseudomembranous colitis). People who have been treated with broad spectrum antibiotics (those that affect a wide range of bacteria), people with serious underlying illnesses and the elderly are at greatest risk – over 80% of Clostridium difficile infections reported are in people aged over 65 years.
Please see Infection Control Leaflets for Patients for further information.
Q. What should I do if a doctor or nurse doesn’t wash their hands before examining me?
A. As a member of the cleanyourhands campaign we encourage patients to challenge our staff. If you have not observed a member of staff washing their hands we support you to bring this to their attention. There is alcohol gel at every bedside so that hands can be cleaned at the point of care. Please remember ‘It is OK to ask’.
Q. Is it safe for me to visit a patient who has an infection?
A. The staff on the ward will be able to advise you. In most cases we simply ask you to remember to wash your hands before and after visiting a patient. If any further precautions are required the ward manager will explain what action is required.
Q. If I have an infection (e.g. flu or gastroenteritis); is it safe to visit?
A. NO. If you are unwell we ask you not to visit the Trust until you are fully recovered. Illnesses like flu and gastroenteritis (diarrhoea and vomiting) are easily passed from person to person. If you visit whilst ill you may pass the illness onto your relative, friend, other patients and staff.
If your visit is essential, please discuss your circumstances with the ward manager.
Q. I am pregnant; can I visit a patient who has MRSA?
A. Yes it is safe to visit. Please wash your hands and rub your hands with alcohol gel from dispensers at the ward entrance and elsewhere on the ward before and after visiting a patient.
Q. What is the hospital doing to improve cleanliness?
A. All ward and clinical areas are inspected regularly by the Matrons and the results reviewed by the Trust. Toilets are inspected on a regular basis although we do ask visitors not to use ward toilets. The ward Cleaning Schedules are available on all wards and departments for your information. If you do however, come across a problem please tell a member of staff so that we can rectify the problem as soon as possible.
Q. What is MSSA?
A. Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that commonly colonises human skin and mucosa (e.g. inside the nose) without causing any problems. It can also cause disease, particularly if there is an opportunity for the bacteria to enter the body, for example through broken skin or a medical procedure.
Most strains of S. aureus are sensitive to the more commonly used antibiotics, and infections can be effectively treated. Some S. aureus bacteria are more resistant. Those resistant to the antibiotic meticillin are termed meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and often require different types of antibiotic to treat them. Those that are sensitive to meticillin are termed meticillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). MRSA and MSSA only differ in their degree of antibiotic resistance: other than that there is no real difference between them. (HPA website)
Since January 2011 the Trust has reported the number of MSSA bacteraemias to the Health Protection Agency. Bacteraemia occurs when bacteria get into the bloodstream. There are no current targets attached to this reporting and it is being used to gain additional information on the background and causes of the infection.
Q. What is E coli?
A. Most strains of Escherichia coli form part of the normal intestinal microflora in humans and warm-blooded animals. However, some strains have the ability to cause disease in humans through the presence of specific virulence factors (HPA website). These diseases include infections outside the intestinal tract such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), and bacteraemia.
Since June 2011 as part of ongoing information gathering the Trust has submitted data on E coli bacteraemia to the HPA. In a similar way to MSSA it is then hoped to provide further information on the incidence and causes of the bacteraemia.
