Mrsa

[KayC]

Hi
My husband had TIA/mini stroke in Apr. He is going to have Angiogram in order to check what was the cause of it. Before the angiogram, he had a swab test and they found my husband has got MRSA. That's all we need!

He will get a treatment for MRSA, like mouth wash and nose wash, etc. We also have to clean/sterlize all bedding and staff like that.

But, the chances are that I've got MRSA, too. I'm always with him, and I was there when he was hospitalized back in Apr. (We guess he picked up the bug when he had to stay in the hospital for a week) I've done a little investigation online and it says people with DM are more prone to MRSA. What I'm worried about is, although he will be treated I might give him the bug back if I'm also infected. We might give it back to each other.

I've talked to the local surgery if I can have a test for MRSA, they said they don't normally do this so I need a refferel for a hospital. I've talked to my DSN, but there is nothing they can do.

My impression is that they are quite casual about MRSA: They are almost saying that everybody has a chance to get it, so don't worry about it!

I remember, a few years ago, MRSA was always on the news and people were really concerned about it. From my little investication online, people are still dying from MRSA. (mainly older people) Has the conception of this bug changed with me knowing it? If so, is that because there is nothing to be done?? (Some anti-biotics are not effective)

Now I'm waiting for my doctor to call me back. He might give me a clear answer to my questions, or he may just say 'Get on with it.'

Kay🙂

 

[Northerner]

I don't know much about it, I admit, but can see how it can be worrying. These are the doctors who make such a hoo-haa about diabetes until it come to dealing with someone who's got it, then they just send them away with a couple of pills and inadequate information

Perhaps the publicity surrounding MRSA is mainly due to the fact that people in hospitals are particularly at risk from the effects of it, as they are most likely to be contending with other health problems, ad maybe the generally healthy populace is better able to resist the worst effects?

 

[cazscot]

We did touch on this subject last year in Microbiology not sure if I can remember it all 🙄. My understanding is that many healthy individuals can have mrsa for months or years without any symptoms (many not knowning that they even have the infection). Individuals start getting symptoms when their immune system is comprimised (such as when in hostpital) and/or they have open wounds, gone through an operation etc. I was told that individuals with D are more likely to get infections as their immune systems can sometimes be compremised and that some infections multiply due to the higher levels of glucose in the blood ????

I am not sure how it would work re cross infection, I presume if you tested positive you would have to be treated as well? Hope you manage to get answerers from you GP.

 

[aymes]

My Grandad who is type 2, contracted mrsa when he was in hospital for a cancer op. He was very ill with it for about 10 days and they feared he wouldn't survive. I didn't get to see him during this period because some very unnecessary family politics so by the time I visited he was over the worst of it, although still very ill. When I did visit both him and the hospital staff were worried about me being there because of the diabetes, wouldn't let me get too close, touch anything etc.
It did take a very long time for him to get over it, both physically and psychlogically. On a positve note, he's fully recovered now, the cancer is all but gone and his a1c is in the 5s.Interestingly, his blood sugars have dropped dramatically since coming off the other drugs, hardly taking any metformin now and he may come off it totally soon!

 

[sofaraway]

I suspect I probably have MRSA on my skin and am not too concerned about it. Wouldn't want it in my blood however as that is what can be really harmful. It seems sensible that any pre-op pateint are screened and given eradication treatment. Even if you did have it then following precautions like washing your hands should prevent you putting your husband at any risk.

 

[KayC]

Thank you all, for reading the long post and commenting about it.

ad maybe the generally healthy populace is better able to resist the worst effects?

I guess so from what my GP said.🙂

I presume if you tested positive you would have to be treated as well? Hope you manage to get answerers from you GP.

That's what I thought. But my GP said I don't need the test. It seems I don't have to worry about MRSA so much.🙂

When I did visit both him and the hospital staff were worried about me being there because of the diabetes, wouldn't let me get too close, touch anything etc.

It might happen to me as well when I go to the hospital with my husband. I'm asked to be with him because local esthetic is involved with the angiogram. It's great your grandfather has fully recovered !!🙂

I suspect I probably have MRSA on my skin and am not too concerned about it.

I will try not to worry about it too much, coz there is nothing I can do about it. It's ironic that I'm a person who is notorious about washing my hand too much too many times...🙂

Kay

 

[Mummyt]

I too had MRSA while in Hospital after havingTIA, but they found out after all the tests I needed stents . so had to stay quarantined in a room and have the treatment, and they made me stay until the Hosp that does the stentsetc had got a room! I was in that hosp for a week and wasn't allowed a bath! I complained and in the end was allowed! Anway I had the stents (3) fitted thru a vein in my arm cos the MRSA was in my groin . what a palaver!🙄
since the when ever I go in hospital for Iron infusions etc I get tested - cross fingers I don't get it again haha
Hug Mo

 

[Freddie99]

Hi KayC,

Ok, small but vital differences. The swab test shows that your husband has the methycillin staphyloccocus aureus (MRSA) organism growing on his skin. The scrub is to remove as much of this as possible from his skin. He hasn't got an MRSA infection because if he did he'd be in hospital on a Vancomycin drip.

The folks you've seen haven't exactly been clear about this. The swab is to see if it's growing on you. Were you or your husband actually infected with MRSA it would be whole different story as an MRSA infection necessitates hospitalisation, treatment as an in patient which is done via a variety of antibiotics but the favourite seems to be vancomycin.

I hope this helps.

Tom

 

[KayC]

Hi KayC,

Ok, small but vital differences. The swab test shows that your husband has the methycillin staphyloccocus aureus (MRSA) organism growing on his skin. The scrub is to remove as much of this as possible from his skin. He hasn't got an MRSA infection because if he did he'd be in hospital on a Vancomycin drip.

The folks you've seen haven't exactly been clear about this. The swab is to see if it's growing on you. Were you or your husband actually infected with MRSA it would be whole different story as an MRSA infection necessitates hospitalisation, treatment as an in patient which is done via a variety of antibiotics but the favourite seems to be vancomycin.

I hope this helps.

Tom

Hi Tom
Does that mean he is just a carrier? The doctor said the bug is colonizing in his body.🙂

 

[Copepod]

It means the MRSA is where you'd expect to find it - skin surface, inside nostrils etc. It becomes a problem if it gets inside breaks in skin or into blood stream, particularly in people who are frail through other conditions.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Tom
Does that mean he is just a carrier? The doctor said the bug is colonizing in his body.🙂

It means the MRSA is where you'd expect to find it - skin surface, inside nostrils etc. It becomes a problem if it gets inside breaks in skin or into blood stream, particularly in people who are frail through other conditions.

A good example of how doctors can use jargon that we might not understand properly, so we should always ask them for clarification. I think I would have interpreted the doctor's words the same way as Kay, and Copepod's explanation makes it clear.

 

[Freddie99]

Hi Tom
Does that mean he is just a carrier? The doctor said the bug is colonizing in his body.🙂

When bugs such as MRSA are grown on an Agar plate the little splodges that grow on the plates are called colonies. Basically what the GP is saying that he has the bugs growing on him. Carrier isn't really a term to use in this situation as it implies other things which don't really apply.

Copepod,

That would make MRSA an opportunistic pathogen, much like the rest of the skin flora.

 

[KayC]

Thank you everybody for making comments.
This forum is really educational!🙂

Kay