Please refer to the infection control policy available on the trust intranet.
Nasal carriage
Mupirocin (Bactroban) nasal
ointment - to be used three times daily for 5 days.
Skin carriage
Triclosan 2% (Aquasept or
Octenisan) aqueous solution
Or
Triclosan 2% (Oilatum plus) - to be
used for skin cleansing for patients with dry skin
For further information please contact infection control on ext. 2632
Treatment of MRSA
Consider the following for patients from whom MRSA is cultured:
Decide clinically whether the
isolate represents infection or superficial colonisation only
If the patient is
deemed to be infected, IV or oral antibiotics may be chosen dependent
on the site and severity of infection.
Control of infection aspects to prevent spread to other patients or staff, and the eradication of carriage by topical antibiotics/antiseptics.
Choice of antibiotic
MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus
aureus) is a bacteria that
is resistant to penicillins and cephalosporins (e.g.
flucloxacillin is not an appropriate choice for the treatment of MRSA).
It is often associated with hospital-acquired infections and can
cause infections such as skin and soft tissue infections, pneumonias
and bacteraemias.
Vancomycin is often the initial
antibiotic of choice if the infection is severe. Most epidemic
MRSA-15 and -16 strains are resistant to quinolones.
Oral antibiotics are indicated for
the treatment of superficial infections or as follow-up after an
initial intravenous course. The choice of oral antibiotics must be
guided by the sensitivity pattern and if necessary, discussed with a
consultant microbiologist.
Duration of therapy (approximate guide)
Consider severity, site of
infection, speed of response to antibiotics, concomitant illnesses.
The following is intended as a guideline only:
Mild chest infection - 7 days
Severe pneumonia - total 14 days
Bacteraemia - total 14 days
following removal of source, e.g. central line
Superficial wound infection - 10 days.