Ok, I think this will be very long winded! It's something I feel quite passionately about...I work on a unit where MRSA is ever present. Some times worse than others, but our patients are also incredibly sick and therefore very very susceptable. This hospital has done very badly in the MRSA league tables and is also the hospital where I am going to have my baby. It is not my 'local' hospital but it is reportadly one of the best maternity departments in the country.
I have been swabbed for MRSA, we are awaiting those results, it was something we did on our unit. But in a similar recent test 1 person in about 50 tested positive. That is hardly surprising when you remember that this infection is air borne. People in the commumity do carry it. I found it interesting to read a care home owner complaining about patients being sent back with MRSA she mentioned swabbing them on return but nothing of whether residents were routinely swabbed. From my experience, it is residents of care homes who frequently bring MRSA to the wards and from whom it spreads. Everyone on my unit is routinely swabbed on admission. Most, but not all do seem to pick up the infection on the unit.
As the problem becomes more prevelent it does obviously become more of a problem to contain. The ideal should be that infected patients should be isolated in side rooms. The practicalities of this mean that not all patients can be housed in this way, there are not enough side rooms especially in older hospitals.
Cleaners are a problem on the unit where I work. I have found that quite often their attitude stinks frankly. Just a couple of days ago I found one washing her mop out in the handwashing sink. They also seem to feel that there job is so important so as to disrespect patient privacy. I had drawn the curtains round recently to bath my naked patient, and she strolls in to empty the bin! I questioned her and she told me it had to be done now. I agree that they need to be brought back within trust and trained and educated properly. This is happening in some places.
Handwashing, I can only speak for myself. My hands are frequently red raw from where I wash my hands quite literally all the time. There is a lack of moisturiser supplies (cost) but this does not stop me from doing it. The only time when I will not do this is when a patient is at risk and I simply do not have the chance. Sometimes this is life threatening or compromising and I have to prioritise. I also am expected to scrub around beds with two different cleaning fliuds whih should take place twice a day.
I am keen for the introduction of tea tree. However I have made enquiries about this. Apparently a high percentage of the population are allergic to it. Also it is very hard to get the right concentration. The NHS are most probably reluctant to introduce this untill further research has been undertaken as they are likely to be sued.
Basically the media has decided to pick up on this issue at the moment. They are very much sensationalising the story and I very much doubt that there weren't underlying causative factors towards the deaths that have occured, few would be from mrsa alone. I certainly have never come across any patient who has died of MRSA in over 6 years. By all means take stuff with you to clean, watch the staff like hawks, especially with dressing changed but don't let this worry detract from the pleasure of your new arrival! Phew, sorry!