Hi KAren
The reason for swabbing before commencement of employment in the NHS use to be (but is no longer considerd justifiable)to ensure that you are not bringing in a new brand of MRSA into the hospital. However, if you are not commonly in contact with MRSA yourself then a single swab is likley to be irrelevant. The NHS use to swab everyone on commencemtn of employment and found nothing financially worthwhile to continue the practice.
It is far better to ask a screening question pre-employment:
Do you know or have you ever been told that you have had MRSA? Have you recently been in contact with someone in hospital who has MRSA?
If they answer yes then we give them the attached as part of the PEQ to complete. if they cannot produce a set of post expsoure negative swabs we do them. They should be swabbed up each indivdual nostril seperately, throat, hairline (we do axillae and perineum as well but for clean room that may be going a bit far). Treat the positives with Bactroban and Hibiscrub wash and advise a change of linen at beginning and end of treatment. Bactroban is a POM so who is going to prescribe it for you when someon inst sick themselves. Even in the NHS we have to do this as GP's wont.
If No, then standard infection control hygiene procedures should protect the products.
You only then swab people if environmental swabs indicate a need
It is true that people coming into contact with MRSA may temporarily colonise it up their nose usually and then the body's defenses kills it without any ensuing illness. MRSA is not a risk to health unless it gets passed the skin barrier.
See attached GOSH protcol and PEQ declaration for further info
Sue
Susan Gorton Occupational Health Department Manager Occupational Health Department, Level 3 Ormond House, 26-27 Boswell Street, London WC1N 3JZ Mob: 07833294568 Tel: 020 7813 8554 Ext 0247 Fax : 020 7813 8355 Email: [log in to unmask] From Sept 2010 I am on study leave on Tuesdays throughout the academic year
>>> Sarah Witwicka <[log in to unmask]> 19/05/2011 21:04 >>>
Hi Karen
This may be a *complete* red herring and apologies in advance if it is... Similar to the new SEQOHS standards, national standards wer introduced for endoscopy units, although I'm not sure when. Still, there's a website with a "contact us" facility that may be able to advise as to what the standard might be for endoscopy manufacturers http://www.grs.nhs.uk/
S :-)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Karen Davey
> Sent: 18 May 2011 20:12
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [OCC-HEALTH] Nasal Swabs
>
> I dont know if anyone can help but if you have any information I would be very grateful. I am doing some work for a Company that manufactures endoscope equipment and operates a clean room environment where the instruments are packaged. Staff that work in the "clean room" have some tests before they can commence work there, this includes nasal swabbing for MRSA and if found positive they are treated with bactroban. My understanding is that even after having treatment they could still have MRSA in their nose at a later stage so swabbing is not worthwhile even if they wear masks. Is there anyone who has experience of a similar type of workplace and testing do you carry out?
>
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