Reducing Risk of MRSA in Hotel Rooms

Because of increased reports of MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), sometimes called MERSA, a staph infection that is resistant to most antibiotics, public places such as schools, hospitals, health clubs, and hotels/motels need to take additional precautions in order to protect patrons.

MRSA, which can enter the body through small cuts or wounds, is more deadly than other staph infections. If left untreated, it can cause death within days. For those in the hospitality industry, improving cleaning and decontamination methods are important in order to keep exposure to MRSA to a minimum.

Safety Procedures to Prevent MRSA for Hotel/Motel Staff and Guests

In the past, most hotel/motel housekeeping crews cleaned visible surfaces using a general disinfectant cleaner. Many times, these cleaners contained mild sterilzing and odor controlling chemicals, but not much else. Housekeeping crews cleaned the tops of dressers, bathrooms, and mirrors. They replaced dirty linens, took out the trash, and vacuumed the room.

While these cleaning methods used to be enough to keep people safe, housekeeping crews now need be trained in better cleaning procedures, almost HAZMAT standard in order to maintain sanitary guest accommodations.

These procedures to reduce MRSA infection include:

* Following usage instructions on all cleaning chemicals

* Using cleaning supplies that contain bacteria killing chemicals

* Washing all towels, linens, and bedspreads in hot water with bleach to disinfect

* Rotating towels and other items used for cleaning to prevent spreading bacteria from a dirty surface to a clean one

* Wearing gloves at all times when cleaning rooms, bathrooms, and when removing trash

* Reporting any chemical spills, water damage, and other suspicious incidents to supervisors

* Changing vacuum bags as directed

* Following all procedures included in the MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet) when handling chemicals

* Update all procedure documentation every six months

* Hold training courses for new staff

When these procedures are followed, the risk of spreading MRSA and other bacterial infections are reduced, yet still just 99.9% effective.

Impact of MRSA and MRSA Infection on the Hospitality Industry

The impact of MRSA on hotels and motels that do not improve their cleaning procedures for MRSA prevention can affect the hospitality industry in many ways. Not only have hotels been closed in the past for not adopting the procedures mentioned above, others have been forced to close permanently because of a lack in public trust.

But MRSA does not only affect guests. It can also affect those working for the hotel. If hotel employees are not given the proper protective clothing including gloves, smock, or uniform, they are at an increased risk of a MRSA infection or bacterial infection. In addition to training housekeeping crews how to properly clean hotel rooms and other areas, safety training is also necessary to prevent spreading the MRSA infection to other employees.

Training for MRSA prevention should include the following:

* Washing hands periodically during the day

* Changing gloves multiple times when cleaning rooms and cleaning public areas such as lobbies, public bathrooms, and restaurant areas (the bacteria can be transferred from gloves to other surfaces easily)

* Covering all wounds and cuts before starting a shift

* Attending to all open wounds immediately to prevent an infection

* Reporting suspicious substances, chemicals, and other items immediately

* Washing uniforms each day after shift is over

Preventing bacterial & MRSA Infection should be a Top Priority

Hotels, motels, and other places that cater to the public need to recognize that preventing bacterial infections like MRSA should be a top priority. By switching to cleaners that kill more bacteria, washing linens and other items in hot water with bleach and disinfectants, and offering frequent training sessions for all employees, cases of MRSA can be greatly reduced in the hospitality industry.

All these precautions are a first line of defense against the killer bacteria but not enough to protect everybody from not getting MRSA infection. The current antibiotics, disinfectants and chlorine products are 99.9% effective against MRSA. The .1% is still causing 18,000 deaths per year. Ninety-nine percent effective just is good enough.

Is there anything to do NOW before more people get a MRSA Infection and die?

Now there really is MRSA prevention. It is a preventative proactive product that kills the MRSA bacteria before they get inside your body. It’s a gas called chlorine dioxide (CL02).

It’s safe, 100% effective and has been used for over 150 years. A special packet design contains the powder that produces CL02 when moisture is added. It emits small amounts of the gas that kills odors, bacteria, germs and best of all, MRSA. It also kills mold and spores which can be another serious health problem.

This new product doesn’t require evacuation of buildings or rooms nor people in HAZMAT suits to apply it. And the cost is considerably less than any HAZMAT treatment or evacuation.

To learn more about killing bacteria, odors, and even the MRSA bacteria for good, keeping your family and you safe from MRSA when you travel, visit Our website.

Debbie McMeyer Visit our OdorXit website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/893907

Seeing or hearing the letters, MRSA together brings fear to most people because MRSA is known as a superbug. With movies like Pandemic, Virus, Epidemic, The Andromeda Strain, The Outbreak, Panic in the Streets, and other similar movies, people can vividly picture a worse case scenario when it comes to “superbugs”. Separating fact from fiction about MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) can calm fears and prevent the spread of this infection.

Though recently MRSA has become newsworthy, its history started many years ago when antibiotics were believed to be a cure all. Patents actively requested antibiotics and doctors freely prescribed them. Staphylococcus proved to be smarter than humans and mutated to survive. A strain developed that is resistant to common antibiotic treatment and it no longer is confined to hospitals (up to 33% of the population are carriers).

MRSA Fact And Fiction:

• Fiction-MRSA is a superbug that cannot be treated with antibiotics.
• Fact-MRSA can be treated with antibiotics. It is the penicillin related (like methicillin) antibiotics that are ineffective on MRSA.
• Fiction-MRSA is a superbug that will kill you.
• Fact-MRSA can be treated in healthy adults. Early detection reduces the risk of death for everyone. Young children and anyone with a compromised immune system is at a higher risk for death from MRSA. Many people who contract MRSA are in hospitals, nursing facilities, and other places that care for people who are ill to begin with.
• Fiction-MRSA is only found in hospitals.
• Fact-About 33% of the population are MRSA carriers (it lives primarily in the nose). Nursing homes, gymnasiums, and businesses have MRSA on many of its surfaces that are commonly touched.

The prevention of MRSA:

• Prevention of MRSA is as easy as washing your hands and using hand disinfectant. This should be done when touching common areas in public places, especially in hospitals. Any time someone touches their nose they should wash their hands. Parents and caregivers should also wash their hands when helping someone who cannot wipe their own nose.
• Build a strong immune system by eating right, taking supplements, getting adequate rest, and reducing stress to prevent the superbug MRSA from causing an infection when there is unavoidable contact with the infection.
• Keep open sores clean and when need be, covered.

Recognizing MRSA Signs And Symptoms:

• All Staph infections, including MRSA, will begin as small red bumps that look like pimples, boils or spider bites.
• A deep and painful abscess that requires medical intervention like surgical draining.
• When an MRSA bacterium spreads deep into the body, it can cause infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the bloodstream, heart valves, and lungs. For some, this infection can be life-threatening.

Treatment of MRSA:

• Before antibiotics are started for a skin infection, a health care professional should test it for staph bacteria (which includes MRSA), to prescribe the most effective treatment.
• Treatment of MRSA won’t always include antibiotics. To avoid outbreaks of vancomycin-resistant MRSA, vancomycin may be saved for those most at risk of the infection spreading and those most at risk for death. In healthy people, some doctors may choose to drain an abscess caused by MRSA rather than treat the infection with drugs. Some hospitals are already seeing vancomycin-resistant MRSA.

Alternative medicine and MRSA:

• Manuka honey kills MRSA (remember, honey never should be given internally to anyone under 1 year old)
• Colloidal silver kills MRSA
• Tea tree oil kills MRSA

Using alternative medicine to find out other treatments that are effective should be done with the supervision of someone who is professionally trained in that area and with the supervision of a health care professional who can test the effectiveness.

Though there are parts of the population that are at higher risk for complications and even death from the superbug, MRSA, it is still a treatable and preventable infection for a high percentage of the population.

Bob helps people understand this Superbug by writing articles about MRSA Superbug and other topics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1140579

Do your nursing assistants know that half of all people carry staph bacteria around on their bodies – without getting sick from it? But, that if they have staph on their skin and it “jumps” onto their clients, they might get very sick? If not, they could benefit from learning the basics about MRSA. Here is information about this common bacteria, who gets sick from it, how MRSA is spread and what your CNAs can do to prevent its spread. Feel free to share this info with the nurse aides at your workplace.

What is MRSA?

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (or MRSA, for short) is a bacteria that has learned how to fight back against antibiotics in the penicillin “family”. Staphylococcus Aureus-usually just called “staph”-is commonly found in the noses and on the skin of healthy people. It is usually a harmless “passenger”, but when it turns toxic, it causes minor illnesses (like pimples and boils) or serious illnesses (like pneumonia and toxic shock syndrome).

The antibiotic, methicillin, has been used for years to treat staph infections and is still successful in some cases. However, MRSA germs are staph bacteria that have become “super bugs”. They are drug-resistant!

Until recently, MRSA was rare, causing less than 1% of all staph infections seen in the hospital. Today, things have changed dramatically. The latest research found that of all the staph infections among intensive care patients, 65% of them are caused by MRSA.

The vast majority of MRSA infections occur among patients in hospitals and other healthcare settings. However, you’ve probably seen in the news that MRSA is becoming more common in community settings-like schools, military housing, prisons and athletic locker rooms. This is because MRSA thrives in crowded areas where there is a good chance of skin-to-skin contact.

Who Gets MRSA?

Infection control experts believe that over 1 million hospital patients were infected with MRSA in 2006.In health care workplaces, MRSA germs tend to live on the patients. Elderly and/or very sick people are most at risk for MRSA. If they have an open wound (such as a bedsore) or a tube going into the body (like a Foley catheter), their risk is even higher. In addition, MRSA attacks people with compromised immune systems-such as people with AIDS.

People can also be “colonized” with MRSA, meaning that they carry the MRSA germs on their body without any signs of infection. Doctors estimate that over 400,000 Americans were colonized with MRSA in the last year alone!

How is MRSA spread…and Can It Be Treated?

MRSA germs can be found on the skin, in the nose and in the blood or urine. Most commonly, the bacteria are spread between people through physical contact. In healthcare facilities, it is usually healthcare workers who spread the germs from patient to patient on their hands, clothing or instruments.

While MRSA bacteria do not travel through the air, they can live for days on personal items such as towels, washcloths, razors, clothing or uniforms-anything that has had contact with MRSA infected skin or body fluids.

The good news is that most MRSA infections are treatable with powerful antibiotics. The treatment may be in the form of a pill, an IV or a topical antibiotic cream. The most important part of treatment for an MRSA infection is that people follow the directions for taking the antibiotic-and don’t stop taking it just because they are feeling better or it looks like their infection is gone. That’s one of the reasons that staph bacteria became drug-resistant in the first place!

Here’s the deal: antibiotics kill enough bacteria to control a person’s infection, beginning with the weakest germs. Because no antibiotic can destroy every harmful germ in someone’s body, there are always some bacteria left. (This is especially true if the person stops taking the antibiotic before the prescription is finished.) The strongest germs survive and teach themselves how to fight the antibiotic.

So, when a doctor prescribes antibiotics for MRSA infections, it is vital that people take all the doses. They should not share their antibiotic with others or “save” some of the doses to use at a later time.

In addition to medication, some MRSA infections may need to be cut open and drained by a physician. And, some MRSA infections may return after being treated. If this happens, people should seek medical attention.

What Can You Do to Prevent MRSA?

Remember…MRSA is most often spread by human hands-especially healthcare workers’ hands. Your hands may become contaminated with MRSA bacteria by touching people who are either infected or colonized with the germ. If you don’t wash your hands properly with soap and water (or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer), the bacteria can be spread when you touch other clients. To reduce the spread of MRSA in your workplace, the Centers for Disease Control (the CDC) recommends that you:

• Wash your hands between every patient contact.
• Wear gloves and disposable gowns when working with patients who have staph infections.
• Disinfect stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs and other patient equipment after each use.
• Move patients who have been diagnosed with MRSA into private rooms.
• Follow any other infection control policies for your workplace.
• To reduce the spread of MRSA in community settings, you can:
• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water.
• Avoid touching other people’s wounds.
• Avoid sharing personal items like razors and towels.
• Use antibiotics only when necessary.

Some Final Tips on MRSA

• It is easier to prevent staph infections than it is to treat them.
• When working with a client who has MRSA, you should wash your hands and put on gloves before entering the client’s room.
• Clients who are infected with MRSA usually need to be in a room of their own.
• Good hygiene is the #1 way to prevent the spread of MRSA!

Linda H. Leekley BS, RN
President, In the Know, Inc.
http://www.knowingmore.com
Do you struggle to provide your nursing assistants with high quality continuing education? With over 120 inservices (including modules on MRSA, Drug Resistant Bacteria and 7 other infection control topics), In the Know has the solution to nearly any problem facing your nurse aides. Using our inservices ensures that your CNAs will learn more-and achieve more. As a result, their client care will improve dramatically! And, we stand by the superior quality of our teaching materials with a 60-day money back guarantee.
Please visit my website at http://www.knowingmore.com to download a FREE Inservice Topic.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3849543

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is a type of bacteria that is resistant to many antibiotics. Familiarize yourself with these 5 common MRSA symptoms and seek treatment immediately if you think you may have this super staph infection.

1. Red, Swollen Skin

The most common symptom of MRSA is red, swollen skin that may look like a boil or surgical wound. The area of infection is usually painful and filled with pus. Many people mistake a MRSA infection for a spider bite or insect bite. If you have what appears to be a bug bite that just won’t go away, don’t take any chances; see your doctor right away.

2. Shortness of Breath

MRSA may also infect the lungs, which can lead to shortness of breath.

3. Cough

A MRSA infection of the lungs often causes coughing.

4. Fever

If you have a red, swollen skin wound and a fever, you should visit a doctor. While most MRSA infections are successfully treated, they can be lethal if you don’t seek medical help immediately.

5. Chills

Chills often accompany the fever brought on by MRSA. In 2007, WebMD reported that more people in the U.S. die from MRSA than from AIDS. MRSA killed over 18,000 Americans in 2005. In the same year, approximately 16,000 people died from AIDS.

Note that MRSA is not a typical staph infection. Regular staph infections are quite common. In fact, up to a quarter of the population carry staph bacteria in their nose or on their skin without any signs of infection. And when infection occurs, most cases of staph are easily treated. MRSA, on the other hand, requires more complicated treatment because it has become resistant to several antibiotics over the years. This super bug is resistant to penicillin, methicillin, amoxicillin, and many other antibiotics.

MRSA infections are most common among people with weak immune systems and those who have spent time in hospitals, nursing homes, and other extended-stay healthcare facilities. If you’ve recently had surgery and your wound isn’t healing properly, it could be infected.

You can contract MRSA through skin-to-skin contact or by touching a contaminated surface. The best way to prevent MRSA is to wash your hands regularly and thoroughly, especially after spending time in a hospital or another healthcare setting. Be sure to use hot water and soap or a hand sanitizer. Scrub your hands like a surgeon to get rid of all germs.

MRSA infects pre-existing wounds more easily. When you get a burn, cut, or scrape, clean the wound immediately, apply antibiotic ointment, and cover it with a bandage.

Locker rooms and gyms provide fertile breeding grounds for MRSA and other germs. If you go to a gym, take your own towel to wipe down the equipment before and after use. Wear sandals or crocs in the shower, and never share personal items like towels or razors.

When you get home, wash your workout clothes in hot water. Cleanliness is the best way to prevent MRSA. Remember the symptoms of MRSA, and see your doctor as soon as possible if you suspect an infection.

Do you know of any other common MRSA symptoms?

For even more free tips and advice on MRSA symptoms, come check out what’s inside the number one site for health and fitness on the net: http://www.fitbuff.com

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MRSA or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria that causes skin infections. It is becoming more and more common in hospitals and nursing homes all over the world and it can be deadly. Up until the past few years MRSA had only infected people who were ill or had a low immune system. However now healthy children and adults are being diagnosed with MRSA symptoms.

Most people have the staph bacteria on their skin and this is totally normal. It is when this bacteria starts to multiply that you might start to notice the dangerous MRSA symptoms. When this happens a person needs to get medical attention as soon as possible to avoid their condition worsening. Here are the MRSA symptoms that you should know.

· Abscesses – these are typified by collections of pus which are underneath the skin of the infected person. These are one of the most common of the MRSA symptoms.
· Boils – these are hair follicles that have become infected and are filled with pus. They are also very sore and can become quite large.
· Cellulitis – this is one of the more hard to diagnose MRSA symptoms. It occurs when the fat and the tissue directly underneath the skin becomes infected. It looks like small bumps which are red coloured.
· Impetigo – this is an infection of the skin which causes the skin to erupt in blisters which are pus filled. However impetigo can occur by itself and is not always recognised as one of the MRSA symptoms.
· Sty – this is an infection of the eyelid and it usually starts with a small bump that can turn yellow. As with many of the other MRSA symptoms stys can occur which do not lead to MRSA.
· Carbuncles – these are similar to abscesses but they are much bigger. They can also have more than one opening into the skin which makes them particularly nasty.

In addition to having unpleasant symptoms MRSA is also very difficult to treat as it is resistant to many of the antibiotics which are available right now. As well as the MRSA symptoms which are painful and unsightly there is even more cause to be concerned about this disease. MRSA can actually spread to the internal organs. When this happens there are other MRSA symptoms to look out for and these include:

· Low blood pressure.
· Chills and fevers which cause the temperature to rise and fall rapidly.
· Excruciating headaches which do not respond to treatment.
· Shortness of breath.
· A rash which spreads all over the body.

With these MRSA symptoms in mind it is important that anyone who is concerned about this illness should seek medical advice as soon as possible. If MRSA is caught fast enough a person who has contracted it should be able to receive the correct treatment. So be vigilant if you notice that you have a skin infection and make sure that you go to see your doctor if you notice anything to be worried about.

Helping you identify symptoms of:
MRSA by showing you MRSA symptoms pictures and videos as well as providing you with general MRSA virus information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2354091