Superbug screening put to the test

Alex Gore • Published 4 Aug 2008 08:00 0 Comments

THE Royal Berkshire Hospital is leading the fight against super bug MRSA and last week I was able to stick my nose in and help.

The hospital launches a new screening programme for patients tomorrow (Friday) and they needed a guinea pig to show there is nothing to fear.

I will quickly stress that I was given the all clear, but even if I had tested positive there would have been no reason to panic.

Between three and six per cent of people tested at the Royal Berks are found to be carrying MRSA on their skin. Not only is it symptomless, but in those circumstances, it causes no problems.

The threat only occurs when the bug moves from the skin and into the bloodstream via a deep cut or wound, which is precisely why the hospital has chosen to screen all patients coming into the hospital for surgery.

Infection control head nurse Jenny Wyeth said: "We are taking a zero tolerance policy to MRSA so we will test everyone coming to the hospital for an operation.

"We will also have tests for emergency patients who come into A&E. It is in the best interests of all our patients, and it is best practice for the hospital.

"At the moment we test a few high risk patients and in my experience they are reassured that we as an organisation are doing the best we possibly can to asses their risk.

"There will be a few that will be quite scared but with the information and advice we can give them they feel much better."

The procedure itself is quick and painless and consisted of Mrs Wyeth placing a dampened sterilised cotton bud in each nostril and then very gently rotating it against the skin for a matter of seconds.

It was all over extremely quickly, made me feel like I was going to sneeze and my eyes water a little, but that was all.

The sample was then sent off for testing and the hospital got back to me under its fast track system with the good news by the early evening. Non-urgent test results usually taken between 24 and 48 hours.

Anyone who does test positive is given an information pack which includes nasal cream and antiseptic skin wash to use for five days before they are due to arrive in hospital.

Mrs Wyeth said: "Once we have identified a patient as MRSA positive we aren't aiming to get rid of it, we are just aiming to reduce the load of MRSA on the skin so that when they have their procedure we have reduced the risk to as low a level as we can."

In total, 18 cases of MRSA were found at the Royal Berks last year and the hospital will now invest £500,000 to cover the cost of the new scheme.

By March 2010 all hospitals will be required to adopt the MRSA screening. Hospital staff are not required by the Department of Health to be tested regularly because they are already obliged to follow the bare-below-the-elbow policy, and use gloves and gel when in contact with patients.

Spokesman Joe Wise said: "They could be tested and be clear one day and come into contact with an infected patient the next. It would be impractical to test them every day, for example."

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This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 31 Jul 08

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