Urgent advice needed Re. NHS protocol if staff exposed to Strep A or MRSA

[Anonymouse2019]

My partner is a nurse in an NHS hospital and today a patient sneezed in his eye. The patient has Strep A and MRSA.

He asked the nurse in charge and Matron what the protocol is (after thoroughly washing his face and hands) but they didn't know. They said they'd ring occupational health but being Sunday it is closed.

We have two young children so naturally he's concerned.

Does anyone know the protocol please?

was your partner wearing any protective gear at all?

Well, this is from Shropshire for Step A

18.2 Health Care Workers Staff should consider themselves exposed to iGAS only if they have had direct contact on their non-intact skin or mucous membranes with secretions from wounds, nasal and oral cavities of a patient with iGAS (e.g. mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, intubation without mask and eye protection, contact with wound drainage, etc.) If fluid from the nose, mouth, or wound of infected person did not contact mucous membranes or non-intact skin, staff have not been exposed and therefore do not require prophylactic antibiotics. If diagnosed with GAS infection, staff must remain out of the workplace until completion of 48 hours of effective antibiotic therapy. Please contact the SCHT Occupational Health Department on 01743 283280 for advice. If exposed to GAS (including family members), there are no work restrictions or modification of work practices. For severe exposure e.g. following a needle stick injury, antibiotic prophylaxis may be recommended on the advice of a Consultant Microbiologist or Occupation Health Department.

Possible antibiotics.

I'd suggest that your DH calls Occupational health first thing in the morning though, rather thanr elying upon somebody else.

Perhaps also suggest calling infection prevention team.

Yes, he was wearing a mask (the blue ones most people wore during the pandemic) but that was his own choice (he wears them all the time as work as our daughter and I are immuocompromised). There was no instruction for staff looking after this particular patient other than to wash their hands before contact - which you'd expect nursing staff to do for every patient anyway.

My partner was inserting an NG tube into the patient's nose which made then sneeze. Due to the nature of the procedure, my partner couldn't make a sudden run for it.

Thank you, that's really helpful!

He was back in work today and he did contact occupational health and microbiology. He did eventually get guidance from occupational health who asked what happened and whether he washed his face and eyes immediately after, which he had. He was also given advice on possible symptoms to look out for and what to do if he gets symptoms etc.