What is the truth beghind it, is it has bad as they say?

My mum was found to be MRSA positive in the hopsital, but they say she might have cotracted it in her nursing home. But the hospital and nursing home is playing it down.

What is the truth?

Most MRSA cases are found in the community and only found in hospitals because we screen patients..Each patient on admission is swabbed from there nose..patients from nursing homes etc have a full screen..

Of course the public only get to hear the horror stories from the media etc..but MRSA is only dangerous when not detected, and the person is vulnerable to infections (unfortunately in most cases it is found in the elderly, due to their weakened immune system)..for example, if a person had an open surgical wound, MRSA will stop the healing process, but saying that it is easily treated.

If it is found on the skin (full screen means axilla, nasal and groin and any open wounds) it is treated with an antibiotic solution that the person washes with, an antibiotic cream that is applied inside the nose, and if it is in a wound, then an antibiotic that the bacteria is still not resistant to can be administered intravenously.

MRSA does not normally cause harm to healthy people (it cannot harm pregnant women, children or babies, providing they are fit and healthy).

It may seem that the hospital etc are playing it down Jeg, but as long as all precautions are carried out, it can and will be treated. Hope this answers your concern in some way.

Thanks Susie, it was you I was thinking of when I posted it

That sounds about they way it went, and similar to what the nursing home and hospital said.

She has never had it until she went into this nursing home. So if they clear her of it she will probably get it again. Would it be unreasonable for me to chase the nursing home up and get them clear of it. Seems odd sending her back to an environment where she got it. Would be better all around if the nursing home cleared it up. Or is that not feasible?

You have every right as your mother's advocate to question the nursing homes screening policy, (that is if they have one)..

Treatment usually lasts for five days, then treatment is omitted for two days and the person is screened again, the treatment then continues pending the screening result..if it is clear then we reswab a further two times, and once we have three consecutive clear swab results back, the person is deemed MRSA clear..

But like you state Jegs..who is to say she will not be in contact with it again at the nursing home!!
So when your Mum goes back to the nursing home, ensure they carry out necessary precautions..

I'm assuming they assist your Mum with daily activities e.g washing and dressing?? If so, question there handwashing policy..or the use of alcohol hand gel..all these things obviously can prevent the spread of MRSA from person to person..if you have no joy with this, then demand to see the homes infection control policy..again hope this is of some help..I can waffle lol

Thanks Susie you've made things a lot clearer for me, and have given me a clue on how to proceed.

I'll see my mums social worker and see what she has to say. As the council fund a lot of the residents, they keep an eye on the home.

C-Diff is a bigger killer than MRSA. For some reason it isn't highlighted as much.

My grandad went into Hospital in April with a stroke, recovered and was ready to come home then he contracted C-Diff and it took him away from us in May. We're currently in the process of sueing the Hospital for negligence and the general treatment my grandad received while in Hospital. He was wheel chair bound and basically blind yet they left him in the toilet for over an hour, Another time they put his naval oxygen pipes on the floor then put them back in. Disgusting.

I hope your mum gets better!

Your right Deanography C. Diff is a big killer again especially amongst the elderly..and I am sorry to hear about your Grandfather's treatment..

I won't defend the NHS in any way..but I will say nursing staff..doctor's etc..do get a real bad press..it's always the negligence stories 'we' hear, in the media etc..but we never hear about all the lives that are saved on a daily basis..

I would promote you to go down the legal route for your Grandfather's treatment..because if you don't, then nothing will ever get done..again I won't defend the hospital that your Grandfather was in, but unfortunately the NHS is reknown for the shortness of staff..I work on a 36 bedded ward, and most shifts we are very short staffed..no excuse I know..but it is very disheartening for 'us' too..

I hope your questions into your Grandfather's death are answered..

hey i'm not experienced in this sort of thing and i really hope your mum gets better!! however i for one know that mrsa is very dangerous not necessarily because it can kill you but because it can seriously affect different parts of the human body, this is not something heard on the media so it isn't a horror story they've managed to get hold of but an associate of mine told me that her father went in for an operation on one of his legs and he contracted mrsa and lost the ability to walk.
Now, i'm not putting this in here to scare you but just to make sure you know there are many different stories or maybe i should say there are many different sides to a story.

Thanks chatterbox2, I see you've left, but might read this

Its not a bad a condition as I thought as long as there's no cuts to infect. The nurses and carers at the care home dont seem worried about it anyway. Not sure enough is done to stop it spreading though.