Download What is MRSA? - Guy`s and St Thomas` NHS Foundation Trust

 MRSA screening – what to
expect
The aim of this information sheet is to help answer some of the questions you may have
about MRSA screening. It explains why screening is important as well as what you can
expect when you come to hospital. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not
hesitate to speak to a doctor or nurse caring for you.
What is MRSA?
MRSA stands for Meticillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureaus.
Staphylococcus aureus is a common type of bacteria. It lives on the skin and in the nose of
many people without doing any harm. Like many bacteria, staphylococcus aureus only becomes
a problem if you are run down, ill, injured or have had surgery. It can cause infections if it enters
the body, such as through wounds or tubes placed in the body.
Meticillin is an antibiotic. Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria.
Meticillin resistant means that Meticillin and similar antibiotics cannot kill the bacteria and
another antibiotic will need to be used. If Meticillin cannot be used to treat staphylococcus
aureus, it is called MRSA
What is the treatment?
MRSA can be treated with some other types of antibiotics.
Why am I being screened for MRSA?
Some people carry MRSA on their skin or in their nose. If we can find out if you are carrying
MRSA before you go into hospital or on admission to hospital, we can use a simple treatment to
get rid of as much of it as possible. This means the chances of you getting an MRSA infection,
or passing MRSA on to another patient, are much smaller.
When and where will I be screened for MRSA?
Usually you will be screened before you come into hospital for your operation. This may be in a
pre-admission assessment clinic, an outpatient clinic or sometimes at your GP surgery.
Typically, a nurse will screen you as part of other checks leading up to your hospital stay like
your blood pressure and blood test.
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How will I be screened for MRSA?
We can find out if you are carrying MRSA by taking a sample, using a swab in your nose and
from your skin. A swab is a cotton bud which is placed on the area of skin to be tested. The test
is painless and only takes a few seconds. Swabs may be taken from different sites, such
as:
 the inside of your nose
 the inside of your throat
 your perineum (the area between your anus and genitals)
 your groin
 any wound or other broken skin.
These are the areas that the MRSA is most likely to live.
When will I get the results from the swabs?
Your swabs will be sent to a laboratory, which tests them for MRSA. The results usually take
between two and three days, but may be available sooner.
What happens after I have been screened?
If you are found to be carrying MRSA on your skin or in your nose, you will be contacted by the
hospital or your GP. Do not worry – lots of people carry MRSA.
Carrying MRSA does not make you ill and you are not a risk to healthy people. This includes
older people, pregnant women, children and babies. A doctor or nurse will let you know what
you need to do next. The treatment is simple. You will usually need to use a special body and
hair wash, and a special cream in your nose before you come in to hospital for your operation or
procedure. Further information is covered in the Dealing with MRSA leaflet.
If you are not carrying MRSA, you are unlikely to be contacted by the hospital or your GP. If you
are not contacted, you should just continue with your planned hospital care.
Did you know?
MRSA has been around for many years, it was first identified in the 1960s.
In England, MRSA infection rates in hospitals are falling. Compared to four years ago, the
number of MRSA infections has more than halved. At Guy’s and St Thomas’ the number of
MRSA blood stream infections has fallen by more than 70% since 2003.
Further information
If you have any questions or concerns about MRSA screening, please contact the
Infection Prevention & Control Department on 020 7188 3153 (Monday – Friday,
9am – 5pm).
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Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
To make comments or raise concerns about the Trust’s services, please contact PALS. Ask a
member of staff to direct you to the PALS office or:
e: 020 7188 8801 at St Thomas’ t: 020 7188 8803 at Guy’s e: [email protected]
Knowledge & Information Centre (KIC)
For more information about health conditions, support groups and local services, or to search
the internet and send emails, please visit the KIC on the Ground Floor, North Wing, St
Thomas’ Hospital.
t: 020 7188 3416
Language support services
If you need an interpreter or information about your care in a different language or format,
please get in touch using the following contact details.
t: 020 7188 8815
fax: 020 7188 5953
NHS Choices
Provides online information and guidance on all aspects of health and healthcare, to help you
make choices about your health.
w: www.nhs.uk
Become a member of your local hospitals, and help shape our future
Membership is free and it is completely up to you how much you get involved. To become a
member of our Foundation Trust, you need to be 18 years of age or over, live in Lambeth,
Southwark, Lewisham, Wandsworth or Westminster or have been a patient at either hospital in
the last five years.
To join, please call 0848 143 4017, email [email protected] or visit
www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk
Leaflet number: 2703/VER2
Date published: November 2012
Review date: November 2015
© 2012 Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
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