In September 2009, 4 patients on a single clinical unit in a nursing home were f

Question

In September 2009, 4 patients on a single clinical unit in a nursing home were found to have skin and softtissue infections due to methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). One of these patients had recently been transferred from hospital X. Two healthcare workers in the nursing home were found to be colonized with MRSA. Isolates from the patients and healthcare workers were genotyped by pulsedfield gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with the restriction enzyme SmaI (see Figure below). Lanes 58 are isolates from the 4 patients. Lane 2 is an isolate from healthcare worker A and lane 4 is an isolate from healthcare worker B. Lanes 3 and 9 are control strains and lanes 1 and 10 are molecular size ladders.

1. Based on the information provided above, what are 2 potential sources of the MRSA outbreak in the nursing home? Explain your rationale.

Explanation / Answer

The two potential sources of the MRSA outbreak in the nursing home are: 1. The health care workers might have caught MRSA from the patient who came from hospital X. They did not follow good hygiene and thus transferred it to the other patients. 2. Another possibility is that the MRSA patient might have been put in a general ward instead of being isolated. This would have lead to the transmission of MRSA from patients to staff or staff to patients.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse I
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.