Mrs Behavin
Well-Known Member
The Department of Health says they are seeing a recent increase in cases of staph infections.
Staph, a bacteria, is most commonly contracted in healthcare facilities, but it can be contracted in other places.
According to Department of Health:
At least 95 percent of community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) infections appear on the
skin or in the soft tissues. Most of these infections start out looking like a pimple or
spider bite and may develop into boils or cellulitis (soft tissue infection). Most infections
are mild and can be treated with antibiotics given by mouth.
Persons most at risk for CA-MRSA include prison inmates, participants in competitive
sports (especially contact sports like wrestling and football), and close contacts of
patients with MRSA infections. However, anyone can become infected if they come into
direct physical contact with the bacteria. If you think you have a staph infection, see your
doctor for evaluation and care.
The Centers for Disease Control also issued a warning this week to hospitals nationwide.
Officals say hospitals need to clean up their act, in order to prevent the spread of infections in hospital settings. This includes more frequent checks of bed-ridden patients, as well as caregivers wearing gloves on a regular basis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, hospital-contracted infections kill 90,000 patients a year--that`s more than AIDS and breast cancer combined.
The Department of Health states on their website:
Prevention is key:
If you have a staph infection, here are some steps you can take to
decrease the risk of exposure to your family and others around you:
• Cover all wounds with clean bandages, particularly those that produce drainage
or pus. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on proper care of the
wound. Pus from infected wounds can contain staph, so keeping the infection
covered will help prevent the spread to others. Bandages or tape can be
discarded with the regular trash.
• Wash your hands often, take frequent showers, and practice good hygiene.
You, your family, and others in close contact should wash their hands
frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer,
especially after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.
• Don’t share towels or personal items, such as razors, combs, clothing or sports
equipment that directly touches the body. Wash sheets, towels, and clothes with
water and laundry detergent. Drying clothes in a hot dryer, rather than airdrying,
also helps kill bacteria in clothes.
• Routinely clean any exercise equipment used by others.
If these precautions are taken, there is no reason to keep students or employees at home.
Small children with draining wounds may need to be excluded from daycare until their
wounds heal, unless good wound care and hand-washing can be assured.
Coaches can help prevent staph infections among athletes by taking the following steps:
• Promote good hygiene, including showering and washing with soap after all
practices and competitions. Make sure enough soap and hot water are
available.
• Discourage sharing of towels, uniforms or other personal items.
• Establish routine cleaning schedules for all shared exercise equipment.
Encourage athletes to use a clean cloth or towel between their skin and any
shared sports equipment.
• Assess athletes regularly for skin infections and encourage athletes to report
sores or skin wounds to the coaching staff.
• If an athlete has an infected wound that cannot be adequately covered, then
the athlete may need to be temporarily excluded from contact sports until the
wound stops draining.
Healthcare workers with staph infections may need to take special precautions or may
even be temporarily restricted from certain patient care activities as determined by the
infection control policies of their hospital or healthcare facility.
Staph, a bacteria, is most commonly contracted in healthcare facilities, but it can be contracted in other places.
According to Department of Health:
At least 95 percent of community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) infections appear on the
skin or in the soft tissues. Most of these infections start out looking like a pimple or
spider bite and may develop into boils or cellulitis (soft tissue infection). Most infections
are mild and can be treated with antibiotics given by mouth.
Persons most at risk for CA-MRSA include prison inmates, participants in competitive
sports (especially contact sports like wrestling and football), and close contacts of
patients with MRSA infections. However, anyone can become infected if they come into
direct physical contact with the bacteria. If you think you have a staph infection, see your
doctor for evaluation and care.
The Centers for Disease Control also issued a warning this week to hospitals nationwide.
Officals say hospitals need to clean up their act, in order to prevent the spread of infections in hospital settings. This includes more frequent checks of bed-ridden patients, as well as caregivers wearing gloves on a regular basis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, hospital-contracted infections kill 90,000 patients a year--that`s more than AIDS and breast cancer combined.
The Department of Health states on their website:
Prevention is key:
If you have a staph infection, here are some steps you can take to
decrease the risk of exposure to your family and others around you:
• Cover all wounds with clean bandages, particularly those that produce drainage
or pus. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on proper care of the
wound. Pus from infected wounds can contain staph, so keeping the infection
covered will help prevent the spread to others. Bandages or tape can be
discarded with the regular trash.
• Wash your hands often, take frequent showers, and practice good hygiene.
You, your family, and others in close contact should wash their hands
frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer,
especially after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.
• Don’t share towels or personal items, such as razors, combs, clothing or sports
equipment that directly touches the body. Wash sheets, towels, and clothes with
water and laundry detergent. Drying clothes in a hot dryer, rather than airdrying,
also helps kill bacteria in clothes.
• Routinely clean any exercise equipment used by others.
If these precautions are taken, there is no reason to keep students or employees at home.
Small children with draining wounds may need to be excluded from daycare until their
wounds heal, unless good wound care and hand-washing can be assured.
Coaches can help prevent staph infections among athletes by taking the following steps:
• Promote good hygiene, including showering and washing with soap after all
practices and competitions. Make sure enough soap and hot water are
available.
• Discourage sharing of towels, uniforms or other personal items.
• Establish routine cleaning schedules for all shared exercise equipment.
Encourage athletes to use a clean cloth or towel between their skin and any
shared sports equipment.
• Assess athletes regularly for skin infections and encourage athletes to report
sores or skin wounds to the coaching staff.
• If an athlete has an infected wound that cannot be adequately covered, then
the athlete may need to be temporarily excluded from contact sports until the
wound stops draining.
Healthcare workers with staph infections may need to take special precautions or may
even be temporarily restricted from certain patient care activities as determined by the
infection control policies of their hospital or healthcare facility.
