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CorrectCare
Crash Course
in MRSA Management in Broward County
By
Carol L. Shepard, BSN, CCHP
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What Is Staph?
Staphylococcus
aureas are bacteria usually located on the skin or in
the nose of a healthy person. If staph are present but
there is no illness, the person is a carrier. Staph can
cause skin infections, deep-tissue infections and severe,
life-threatening blood infections. Most staph infections
are minor and demonstrate as pimples and boils.
What
Is MRSA?
Methicillin-resistant
Staph aureas is most common in hospitals, where
infection usually develops in patients who are very sick
or have open wounds. Outside of hospitals, MRSA cases have
been associated with recent antibiotic use, sharing
contaminated items, having active skin diseases and living
in crowded settings. MRSA infections are usually just skin
infections but may cause serious illness. Symptoms include
a red and inflamed area around a wound, pimple, boil or
abscess. Serious symptoms may include fever, chills,
lethargy and headaches. Treatment can be difficult, and
includes antibiotics and, if necessary, lancing or
draining of the sore.
Infection Protection
Wash hands
often with soap and water.
Avoid close physical contact with others that have a
known infection.
Wipe gym equipment with a towel.
Keep cuts and abrasions clean and covered with a bandage
until healed.
Wash clothes, bedding and towels that come into contact
with wound.
Dont share personal items, such as razors and
toothbrushes. |
I.D.E.A.S.
for Handling MRSA in a Correctional Setting
I.
Identify and isolate. Instruct health care providers and
detention staff on what to look for. Following culture, isolate
patients with suspicious wounds. Medically isolate confirmed
cases and culture suspected cases of MRSA. Develop protocols for
laundry, medical treatment, dietary needs, wound care and lab
orders.
D.
Decontaminate. Immediately clean with appropriate agent:
Cell the inmate came out of
Common areas in housing unit
Transportation vehicles
Holding cells used on way to medical isolation unit
Laundry
E.
Educate. Target everybody:
Inmates
Health care providers
Detention staff
Arresting law enforcement officers
Courts
Legal system (public defenders office, state attorneys
office, etc.)
Media (via press release)
Public (post information at front door, master control,
visiting areas)
A.
Aggregate. Bring everyone together to develop a united approach.
Local health department
Neighboring county jails
Legal system
Transportation
Food service
Detention staff
Medical staff
S.
Systematically monitor.
Track daily all movement, releases, lab results and treatment
Monitor protocols
Evaluate process
Document progress
About the author:
Carol L.
Shepard, BSN, CCHP, is the health care manager for the Broward
Sheriffs Office, Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
[This article first appeared in the
Summer 2006 issue of CorrectCare.]
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