Transcript Document

Nosocomial Antibiotic Resistant
Organisms
Methicillin is an antibiotic related to
penicillin. It is used to treat infections
caused by bacteria carrying an antibiotic
resistance – usually staphylococci.
Methicillin is deactivated by gastric acid
and therefore must be given by injection.
MRSA: Methicillin Resistant
Staphylococcus Aureus
This bacteria (Staphylococcus
Aureus) is resistant to most
antibiotics; including Methicillin! It
is also found in most health care
facilities.
MRSA is not a threat to a healthy
individual.
However, it is difficult to contain and
easily spread; therefore is can be
devastating in a health care facility.
Those people at risk for MRSA are
those who have the following risk
factors:
1. Surgery
2. Devices used in invasive procedures
3. Burn wards or intensive care units
(ICU)
4. Age (elderly are more susceptible)
5. Treatment with multiple antibiotics
6. Severe illness or disability
7. Prolonged or repeated hospital stays
8. Compromised immune system
MRSA is transmitted through direct
contact between health-care workers
and clients. MRSA is not usually
spread through the air.
Health care workers are the main carriers
of MRSA! (colonized vs. infected)
Symptoms of a MRSA infection include:
1. Drainage from a wound
2. Fever and chills
3. Elevated white blood cell count
Common sites of infection with MRSA
include:
1. Respiratory Tract
2. Surgical wounds
3. Perineum or rectum
4. Skin
Preventing the spread of MRSA is
accomplished by:
1. Proper hand washing
a. Before caring for each client
b. After removing gloves
c. Before leaving the client’s room
2. Following facility protocol for
standard precautions
Vancomycin is often referred to as the
antibiotic of last resort.
There are two main concerns about
using Vancomycin:
1. The development of Vancomycin
resistant organisms
2. Producing Vancomycin on an
industrial scale.
VRE: Vancomycin resistant
enterococcus
VRE is hard to treat and can pass on
their drug-resistant genes to other
organisms.
Those people who are at risk for VRE
are those with the following risk
factors:
1. Severe illness
2. Treatment with multiple antibiotics
3. Abdominal or cardiac surgery
4. Devices used in invasive procdures
5. Age
6. ICU
7. Prolonged or repeated hospital stays
8. Compromised immune system
VRE is opportunistic. It is transmitted
between clients and health-care
workers. (colonized vs. infected)
Signs of a VRE infection are:
1. Drainage from a wound
2. Fever and chills
3. Elevated white blood cell count
The spread of VRE can be prevented
by:
1. Proper handwashing
a. Before caring for a patient
b. After removing gloves
c. Before leaving a patient’s room
2. Follow facility protocol for
standard precautions