NURSING MRSA PATIENTS

Nursing MRSA Patients and the Psychological Effects of Isolation Nursing

Nursing MRSA Patients and the Psychological Effects of Isolation Nursing

Introduction

MRSA stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and it is the main causative agent for causing staph infections. The term in general is used for several strains of bacteria Staphylococcus aureus which are resistant to many antibiotics including methicillin. MRSA associated infections can be classified into following categories:

1)Hospital associated MRSA they are common in the hospital working staff and in people working in a hospital setting coming in direct contact with the patients

2)Community associated MRSA is common in people coming in close frequent contacts with each other. The mode of transmission of the infection is through the skin, for this reason it is found very common in athletes and residents of crowded population (NIH, 2013).

3)Healthcare associated MRSA, infections which usually occur in hospital and health care settings, like nursing homes and dialysis centre. They are also associated with surgical procedures, invasive procedures involving the use of surgical devices, catheters, intravenous tubing and placement of artificial joints (Mayoclinic, 2012).

Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a group bacterium which lives on the skin surface on the human body and is also present inside the nose. Under normal conditions, it is harmless, and people who are the carriers are also unaware of it. Almost 30% of the general population living in UK carries the bacteria in their nose or on the skin surface. The mode of transmission of these bacteria is very easy from person to person direct contact (Nordqvist, 2013).

The threat associated with Staph aureus is it can easily enter into the body through cuts or wounds. Healthy people who have strong internal immunity to fight against the infections are able to fight Staph aureus infections and only suffer from mild symptoms associated with it. People and patients already suffering from other comorbidities have compromised immune system, or those who have undergone a surgical procedure (heart surgery, knee or hip replacement) can suffer from serious complications. In vulnerable population Staph aureus can cause boils, septic wounds, heart valve problems, blood disorders and certain other life threatening condition like toxic shock syndrome. In extreme cases, the infections can be lethal. People with weakened immune system and also suffering from Staph infections require treatment from a broad spectrum antibiotic to clear the bacterial infection. The main concern in following the treatment against the bacterial strains is resistant to a number of antibiotics available to treat bacterial infections of Staph origin (Chambers & Delep, 2009, p. 629)

Symptoms

Skin infections caused by Staph and MRSA begins with red bumps closely looking like red pimples, boils or spider bites. They quickly turn into deep and painful abscesses for which surgical incision and draining is required. In certain cases, the bacteria from the superficial surface of the skin also travel deep into the body and causes life threatening ailments involving the joints, bones, heart valves, lungs and blood (Mayoclinic, 2012).

Treatment of MRSA

It is difficult to treat the non-resistant strains of bacteria because it ...