Staphylococcus aureus and its nursing implications
It is stated that no matter one perceive how healthy they are, an individual probably have experienced staph infections in particular on the skin, nose or throat. Staphylococcal infections, or simply staph infections, cause no problems or relatively minor skin infections but is considered deadly when bacteria burrow deep into the body as it can invade bloodstream, urinary tract, lungs and heart. Most staph infections are treatable prior to becoming resistant to all currently available medications. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common staph infection. In this paper, how such bacterium implicates the nursing practice will be discussed. The discussions will be built on issues of characteristics, types, route of transmission, disease, treatment and preventive measures. Because Staphylococcus aureus is regarded to have been common in hospitals, prevention will be discussed on the context of healthcare worker hygiene.
Staphylococcus aureus refers to the faculatatively anaerobic, gram-positive coccus spherical bacterium that occurs in microscopic clusters that resemble grapes. Bacteriological culture of the nose and skin of normal humans perpetually yields staphylococci. Kenneth Todar who wrote a book devoted to Staphylococcus aureus states that the important phenotypic characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus are nonmotile and nonsporeforming and fermentation of glucose produces mainly lactic acid. According to him, Staphylococcus aureus is also catalase and coagulase positive. Staphylococcus aureus forms golden yellow colony on agar while the normal flora of humans found on nasal passages, skin and mucous membrane. Further, pathogens of humans cause a wide range of suppurative infections and also food poisoning and toxic shock syndrome.
Twenty percent (20%) of humans are said to have long-term carriers of Staphylococcus aureus hence the spread of the bacteria is because of human-to-human contact. It can be spread through contact with pus from an infected wound and skin to skin contact with the infected person via the production of hyaluronidase which destroy the tissues. In addition, contact with objects used by an infected person including towels, sheets and clothing and also athletic equipments could be carriers of bacteria. Recently though, it was discovered that it can be transmitted through pets such as dogs, cats and horses.
The range of illnesses from minor skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus as pimples, impetigo, boils, scalded skin syndrome, and abscesses to sever conditions as pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, septicemia and toxic shock syndrome. Nevertheless, although there is no vaccine that is generally available to humans to be immune of Staphylococcus infections, it can be treated with vancomycin or an alternative apart from penicillin. This could be combined with therapy that uses sulfa drugs and minocycline or rifampin. Duration of treatment depends on the site and severity of infection, however.
As a nurse, one of the most effective techniques to prevent the spread of the bacteria is through emphasizing the importance of basic hand washing especially for children. Bacterium is able to be transported by nursing staff through hands, requiring consistent self-sanitizing. Alcohol is a proven sanitizer against Staphylococcus aureus. Nurses should be particularly concern with their contacts on patients as they can be carriers. They should also be careful in detecting symptoms of Staphylococcus aureus in their patients specifically those with wounds. Aside from this, transmission could be prevented by means of cleanliness in the surrounding like in the hospitals where the use of gloves and privacy curtains are common. This requires effective routine and terminal cleaning. Minimizing the spread also means effective participation in reporting to alert the community about the presence of the bacterium.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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