Which of the following strategies will the nurse adopt for patients with Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus… - BHU NO - 12 April 2024

BHU NO - 12 April 2024

Applied Microbiology & Infection control

Easy

Appeared in: BHU NO - 12 April 2024

Explanation

The correct strategy is Contact Isolation because MRSA is primarily transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact or contact with contaminated surfaces.
Contact Precautions are a specific set of transmission-based guidelines used in addition to Standard Precautions.
This strategy involves placing the patient in a private room (or cohorting with another MRSA-positive patient) and requiring healthcare workers to wear a gown and gloves upon entering the room.
These barrier precautions are designed to prevent the transfer of the organism from the patient or their environment to healthcare workers or other patients.

Option B: Hand washing is a component of Standard Precautions and is essential for all patient care, but it is not the complete, specific isolation strategy required for MRSA. Contact Isolation is the comprehensive strategy that includes hand hygiene plus barrier precautions.
Option C: Respiratory isolation (specifically Airborne Precautions) is used for pathogens that remain infectious over long distances when suspended in the air. MRSA is not transmitted this way.
Option D: Droplet isolation is for pathogens transmitted through large respiratory droplets that travel short distances (about 3-6 feet). MRSA is spread by contact, not droplets.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Infection control precautions for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Preventing the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) like MRSA is a major patient safety goal. Failure to implement correct isolation can lead to hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), increased patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs.
Nurses are at the forefront of infection control and must educate patients, families, and other staff about the reasons for and correct procedures of isolation to ensure compliance and effectiveness.
What if? If a patient with MRSA in a wound also has a productive cough and is suspected of having MRSA pneumonia, the nurse should anticipate implementing both Contact and Droplet Precautions until pneumonia is ruled out.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the pathogen in the question: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).
Recall the primary mode of transmission for this specific pathogen. For MRSA, it is contact (direct or indirect).
Review the options, which are different types of infection control strategies.
Match the mode of transmission to the corresponding isolation precaution. Contact transmission requires Contact Isolation.
Differentiate the specific strategy (Contact Isolation) from general practices (Hand washing) or precautions for other transmission routes (Respiratory/Droplet).

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Infection control precautions for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
Stem keywords: Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, MRSA, nursing strategies, infection
Lead-in keywords: Which
Negative lead-in flag: false

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