United States – A recent study has uncovered a concerning trend: Individuals who were treated in the hospital could carry home antibiotic-resistant ‘supergerms,’ putting the family at a higher risk of falling sick. The study caters that the families of newly discharged patients are 71 percent more inclined to catch MRSA as compared to the families of healthy people, as reported by HealthDay.
Personal Relations with Higher MRSA Awareness
The research established that even if the hospitalized patient had not acquired the MRSA infection, their family members are vulnerable bearing in mind that the stay in the hospital was somewhat lengthy. “Patients can acquire MRSA while in the hospital and be able to transmit to others in the household,” said lead author Dr. Aaron Miller, a research assistant professor of internal medicine-infectious diseases at the University of Iowa. This implies that hospitals have the potential of spreading MRSA outside the hospital by discharging patients who are usually either colonized with the bacterium without showing any symptoms.
MRSA: A Persistent Healthcare Challenge
MRSA are known to cause severe infection that are hard to treat because they are resistant to many antibiotics. Although MRSA is usually found in healthcare facilities, it can also be transmitted through direct contact in communities. If the MRSA gets into the blood or lungs, it can create dangerous and frequently deadly infections.
Research Findings on MRSA Transmission
The study analyzed data from a database of insurance claims, covering 158 million enrollees with at least two family members on the same health plan. Researchers identified over 424,000 MRSA cases among nearly 343,000 individuals, including more than 4,700 cases likely linked to a recently hospitalized relative. Additionally, another 8,000 cases were possibly related to contact with surfaces used by a recently discharged patient without MRSA.
The study also discovered that for the kin of the recently discharged patients who were negative to MRSA they recorded a 44 percent increased likelihood of acquiring the superbug. The risk increased with the length of the hospital stay: a one to three day stay increased the risk of MRSA by 34%, if the visit was four to ten days then the risk was 49% higher and if the visit was over ten days then the risk was between 70-80% higher chance of MRSA within the household.
Implementing Preventative Measures
Dr. Thomas Talbot, chief of hospital epidemiology at Vanderbilt University and president of the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America stated that infection prevention measures like hand washing, control of environmental surfaces plus inner ear intervention on staphylococcal colonization are very crucial. While not participating in the study, Talbot stated that such practices are crucial in tackling the spread of resistant bacteria in health-care institutions, as reported by HealthDay.
Aaron Miller, however, urged caution in interpreting the findings: “While we identified a significant risk factor for transmission in the household and community, the absolute risk remains relatively low. It is important not to over-emphasize the risk associated with hospital stays.”