As a paramedic, I was always concerned about the
cleanliness of my work environment, the ambulance. Maybe it was because of the occasional blood
stain that could be found on the wheel of the cot or a backboard strap that was
missed when cleaning? The scary part is,
sometimes it’s what looks clean that isn’t clean is more of a concern. In a study by Stevenson, Bell, Hoet, and Lu
(2010), almost one third of all the ambulances in Ohio that were swabbed and cultured
had invisible MRSA inside of them. If we
cant see it, how do we protect ourselves?
I always made an effort at the beginning of my shift to disinfect common
areas such as the seat, steering wheel, radio, report writing area, etc. of my
squad to assist in this mission. Any
thoughts on what you do in your clinical area to help protect you and your
patients from invisible bugs like MRSA?
Stevenson, K.B., Bell, C., Hoet, A., & Lu, B. (2010).
MRSA Colonization in EMS Personnel and Equipment as a Risk Factor for
Secondary Injury in Ohio Trauma Patients.
Final Project Report Ohio Division of EMS Injury Prevention Research
Grant. Retrieved from http://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/EMS_Stevenson_MRSA%20Project_Final%20Report_1.pdf
Bryan,
ReplyDeleteDecontaminating your equipment, workspace, and personal clothing is expensive and time-consuming. Most of us go home in the same scrubs that we wore to work. Our cars become contaminated, our couches, and inevitably our families. What we need is a MRSA-zapping sentinel that is always on the job, always scanning patient rooms and hallways looking for evidence of biologic contamination. Sounds far fetched doesn't it? Not so according to a recent news article. One hospital in Danville, KY paid $100,000 for a germ killing robot that roams the facility scanning and destroying MRSA germs on environmental surfaces. The writer states that operating rooms can be sterilized in 2-3 minutes! Take a look at this link - may be something helpful for EMS crews - sterilize their rigs after each patient run. Great blog though ! Michael
http://www.centralkynews.com/amnews/news/local/boyle/germ-zapping-robot-unveiled-at-ephraim-mcdowell/article_2b61269e-eb8d-51a8-b4d7-
Hi MRSA Team,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to post this question. My understanding is that MRSA is probably considered ubiquitous at this time. So, I don't foresee the possibility of finding one antibiotic as a cure. So is the only recommendations for containment is hygiene?
Thanks for a great blog, enjoyed it.
Clarence
Michael - Great article, very interesting option!
ReplyDeleteClarence - Hand Hygiene is the #1 recommendation for providers. Additionally cleaning of patient care areas and patient education are important. Finally, there seems to be a push to identify MRSA positive cultured patients early and get them isolated and treated before they can expose others.
We have daily cleaning protocols in place in our cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program. Chairs, exercise equipment, blood pressure cuffs are all disinfected with and antiviral spray. We also use the spray to clean up any blood that may end up on the equipment.
ReplyDeleteBryan,
ReplyDeleteThis article has really made me aware of the cleanliness of my desk and classroom. As a teacher of 120 high school students, I'm always concerned about the spread of germs in my class. I use anti-bacterial wipes on door handles, my keyboard, mouse, phone and desk about 1-2 times daily to prevent the spread of germs. I also wash my hands after each class to minimize the spread of germs. Since I began using the anti-bacterial wipes and increased my handwashing, I've noticed I've been sneezing a lot less and haven't felt as vulnerable to the recent illnesses my students had. I think wipes are a great solution to germ spreading as well as good old fashioned hand washing. I wish there was more education to students on the need for proper handwashing. Most of the students at our school do not wash their hands after eating, using the restroom, or blowing their nose. Do you think there is a way to promote handwashing among students in public schools. It seems the research is not showing longevity with educational interventions (Chittleborough, Nicholson, Young, Bell, & Campbell, 2013) Also, what else would you suggest for keeping an environment clean like my classroom where so many people are coming and going each day?
Chittleborough, C.R, Nicholson, A.L., Young, E., Bell, S., Campbell, R. (2013). Implementation of an educational intervention to improve hand washing in primary schools: process evaluation within a randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health,13, 757-781. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-757
Jeremy - I think its great you are making your students aware of this problem and encouraging them to think about ways to reduce germ transmission. Even though not a health care setting, commonly shared areas like classrooms, computers, etc. are a great breeding ground for germs.
ReplyDelete