Infection Control and Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
MRSA - FAQ
VRE - FAQ
C.difficile - FAQ
ARO - FAQ
Pandemic -FAQ
MRSA
What is MRSA ( M ethicillin R esistant S taphylococcus a ureus??
Staphylococcus aureus are bacteria (germs) often called “staph” that live harmlessly on the skin and in the nose. “Staph” may cause infections on broken skin or wounds.
Methicillin is an antibiotic used to treat serious infections caused by “staph”.
MRSA is a “staph” bacteria that has become resistant to, and cannot be destroyed by, Methicillin.
How can you tell if you have MRSA?
The only way to tell if you have MRSA is if your doctor takes swabs or samples from boils, wounds, or other sites of infection and sends them for laboratory testing.
What is the difference between infection and colonization?
MRSA can cause “infection” or “colonization”.
Infection means bacteria are in, or on, the body and are making you sick.
You can get infected with MRSA in the community as well as in a hospital or other health care setting.
MRSA infections can cause:
Skin infections such as boils
Infection under the skin
More serious infections of the bone, blood, lungs and other parts of the body
Colonization means the bacteria are in, or on, the body but you are not sick because of it and your hospital stay should not be increased.
How is MRSA spread between patients?
The most common way MRSA can be spread is when touching someone who is colonized or infected. Touching a surface, such as a hospital bed or table, which has the bacteria on it, can also spread MRSA.
How can you prevent MRSA from spreading?
Regular and thorough hand hygiene is one of the most successful ways to stop the spread of MRSA. Health care providers treating you should wash their hands each time they enter and leave the room of a positive MRSA patient and with all patients. This will wash away the bacteria and stop it spreading to other patients. You should not hesitate to discuss the importance of good hand hygiene with any of the staff caring for you. Hand hygiene includes using soap and water or more often, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
VRE
What is VRE (V ancomycin R esistant E nterococci)?
Enterococci are generally harmless bacteria (germs), which live in the intestines of most people.
Vancomycin is an antibiotic that is often used to treat very serious infections.
VRE is a bacteria that has become resistant to, and cannot be destroyed by, vancomycin.
How can you tell if you have VRE?
The only way to tell if you have VRE is if your doctor orders a sample of your blood, urine or faces to be sent to a laboratory for testing.
What is the difference between infection and colonization?
VRE can cause “infection” or “colonization”.
Infection means bacteria are in, or on, the body and are making you sick.
Colonization means the bacteria are in, or on, the body but you are not sick because of it and your hospital stay should not be increased.
How is VRE infection treated?
VRE is often resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics. Patients with a VRE infection may need to be cared for by an Infectious Disease Physician so they get the right treatment and antibiotics.
Clostridium difficile
What is Clostridium difficile (C.diff) ?
Clostridium difficile is a bacterium that causes diarrhoea and more serious intestinal conditions such as colitis.
What are C. difficile diseases?
They are diseases that result from C. difficile infections such as Colitis, more serious intestinal conditions, sepsis, and rarely death.
What are the symptoms of C. difficile disease?
Symptoms include:
How is C. difficile disease treated?
C. difficile is generally treated for 10-14 days with antibiotics prescribed by your healthcare provider. The drugs are effective and appear to have few side-effects.
How do people get C. difficile disease?
People in good health usually don't get C. difficile disease. People who have other illnesses or conditions requiring prolonged use of antibiotics and the elderly are at greater risk of acquiring this disease. The bacteria are found in the feces. People can become infected if they touch items or surfaces that are contaminated with feces and then touch their mouth or mucous membranes. Healthcare workers can spread the bacteria to other patients or contaminate surfaces through hand contact.
What should I do to prevent the spread of C. difficile to others?
If you are infected you can spread the disease to others. However, only people that are hospitalized or on antibiotics are likely to become ill. For safety precautions you may do the following to reduce the chance of spread to others:
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wash hands with soap and water, especially after using the restroom and before eating;
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clean surfaces in bathrooms, kitchens and other areas on a regular basis with household detergent/disinfectants.
What should I do if I think I have C. difficile disease?
See your healthcare provider.
ARO
What is an ARO (Antibiotic Resistant Organism)?
Antibiotic resistant bacteria (organisms such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] or Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci [VRE]) are resistant to, and cannot be destroyed by, many of the antibiotics commonly used to treat infections.
Antibiotic resistant germs (bacteria, organism) may live in the nose or in the bowels of health people.
Who is likely to get antibiotic resistant bacteria?
People most likely to get antibiotic resistant bacteria are those who are:
• Very ill – including those with cancer, transplants and chronic renal disease
• Intensive care unit patients
• On long courses of antibiotics
• Recovering from major surgery
• Being treated with invasive devices or ventilators
• Spending a long time in hospital
What happens if I am found to have antibiotic resistant bacteria?
Bacteria can be on the body but not cause an infection.
This is called being “colonized”. If you are colonized with antibiotic resistant bacteria you will not experience sickness or symptoms. Colonized patients are rarely given treatment to attempt decolonization.
Occasionally, people who are colonized with antibiotics resistant bacteria may have their surgery temporarily postponed or be moved to a single room in the hospital. Patients can be placed in a room with someone having similar organisms too. This is because infected and colonized patients can develop infections.
Infection means that bacteria are in, or on, the body and are making you sick.
Signs of infection include fever, pus from a wound and pneumonia.
Patients with an antibiotic resistant bacterial infection may need to be cared for by an Infectious Disease Physician so they get the right treatment and antibiotics. If you are in hospital and you are colonized or infected with an ARO, healthcare provides will take steps to help stop the spread of the infection between yourself and other patients.
These steps may include;
• Moving you to a single room within the hospital or being cohorted with a patient with a similar organism
• Regular and thorough hand washing by staff and visitors- staff may either wash their hands at the sink or use a waterless alcohol hand sanitizer
• Wearing a gown, and gloves when they touch you
Pandemic
What is a Pandemic?
A pandemic is a global disease outbreak, usually affecting a large number of people.
How Does a Pandemic start?
A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges among humans and spreads easily from person to person. Because the virus is new to humans, people have little or no immunity and the virus spreads worldwide .
How is pandemic influenza different to seasonal influenza (“normal flu”) and avian influenza (“bird flu”)?
Seasonal Flu |
Pandemic Flu |
Occurs every year during the winter season |
Has occurred three times in the last century. It is likely to occur at any time of the year. |
For most people it is an unpleasant but not life threatening infection. |
It may be serious infection for everyone. |
Most people recover within one or two weeks without requiring medical treatment. |
Some people will not recover even with medical treatment. Due to the higher risk of severe illness, there is greater risk of death. |
The very young, the very old and people with chronic illness are most at risk of serious illness. |
People of every age may be at risk of serious illness. |
Vaccine is available in advance based on common circulating flu strain. |
Vaccine will not be available when the pandemic starts. |
Antiviral drugs are available to treat those at special risk. |
Antiviral drugs are likely to be in limited supply and will have to be used to best effect according to how the disease develops. |
How likely am I to catch the Pandemic Flu?
You are more likely to get infected with pandemic flu because it spreads rapidly and very few people have immunity to pandemic flu. Everyone will be at risk. Some people with chronic illness are at more risk than others. Every pandemic is different, so until the virus starts spreading, it is very difficult to predict who will get the pandemic flu.
How is the Pandemic Flue spread?
Pandemic flu is spread when droplets contain the virus come into contact with another person's mouth, nose, or eyes through coughing or sneezing. Flu also spreads when people touch surfaces, which have recently been in contact with the virus and then touch their face.
What are the symptoms of Pandemic flu?
Symptoms of the pandemic flu include fever, muscle pain and weakness, headaches, tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea and vomiting (seen especially in children).
How long will a Pandemic Flu last?
As it is impossible to know what a pandemic flu might look like, certain assumptions need to be made. Pandemics typically occur in waves. The first wave is expected to last six to eight weeks and the second wave may follow six to nine months later. There may also be a third wave. When a pandemic occurs, communities can expect to deal with its effects for 12-18 months.
How can I prepare my family and myself for Pandemic Flu?
The Hamilton Public Health has prepared a guide that will help you to prepare your family for a Pandemic. Please access the following link to see this guide.
Prepare for the Flu Pandemic
The Flu Pandemic
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