MDS and MRSA

[Bossywife]

My husband has MDS and is Int-low risk.

I just found out that my daughter has MRSA (from hospital stays for multiple health issues, not high risk lifestyle) and she is frequently at our home.

My concern is regarding precautions around my husband. His blood counts aren't super low at this time, but do flucuate.

We see the Specialist on Wednesday and I was wondering if anyone has experience with this and is there is anything I should know / ask the Doctor?

Thanks.

[Neil Cuadra]

Bossywife,

MRSA resists the most common antibiotics, but there are other antibiotics that the doctors can prescribe. Is your daughter on antibiotics?

Given your husband's fluctuating counts, it's wise to be careful and to ask questions. The CDC offers some general advice about preventing the spread of MRSA:

• Keep any open skin wounds covered.
  
• Everyone in the house should wash their hands frequently.
  
• Do not share personal items like clothing or towels.

You can ask your husband's doctor if those precautions are enough. If so, that should allay your worries. If not, the doctor might recommend keeping your husband and daughter separated until antibiotics have started to work, having one of them wear a mask when your husband's white count is low, or other precautions.

Your daughter's physician might be able to tell you when she's no longer considered contagious. It may be soon after she starts a course of antibiotics.

[Bossywife]

No, she has no wounds or anything, she was just randomly tested and she only found out she had it because I work in the hospital and admitted her into Emerg one day and saw it. Neither of them have any kind of open wound or infection. This must be good, no?

[Neil Cuadra]

Originally Posted by Bossywife

No, she has no wounds or anything, she was just randomly tested and she only found out she had it because I work in the hospital and admitted her into Emerg one day and saw it. Neither of them have any kind of open wound or infection. This must be good, no?

Yes, that's good, but unless your daughter's MRSA has been evaluated you don't know the risk of contagion.

[Naive]

I was found to be MRSA positive. Colonised but no infection. I've taken a course of antibiotic ointment for the MRSA in my nose and I'm now testing negative. There's no need to stay MRSA positive even if there is no infection. Perhaps your daughter can ask for a treatment to rid herself of the colonisation.