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VHA MRSA Prevention Initiative
Improving Safety and Protecting Veterans

MRSA Questions & Answers

1. What is MRSA?

2. Who gets MRSA infections?

3. How is MRSA spread?

4. What about community gyms, do they have MRSA?

5. How is MRSA diagnosed?

6. Why is MRSA prevention important?
 

 

Answers

1. Q: What is MRSA?
A: MRSA stands for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. Staphylococcus
(STAFF-ih-low-KOCK-us) aureus (ARE-ee-us) is a type of “super” germ that lives in
the nose, on the skin, and on other surfaces that come in contact with the bacteria.
In most cases, this “super” germ causes no infection. But in some people it can
cause serious wound and blood infections. MRSA is considered “methicillin resistant”
because it does not react to methicillin or other standard medicines. Hospitals and
other health-care facilities have been found to be sources of MRSA. However,
there have also been a few cases of MRSA in the community.

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2. Q: Who gets MRSA infections?
A: People who are at the greatest risk for developing an infection or become
colonized are those who:

  1. Are elderly or children
  2. Are very ill
  3. Are unable to fight off infection because of a serious disease such as HIV or diabetes
  4. Have been recently hospitalized or undergone a surgical procedure
     

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3. Q: How is MRSA primarily spread?
A. MRSA is primarily spread by direct physical contact with a person or object that is carrying
the bacteria. Objects can include medical equipment, sheets, or even a tabletop. In the hospital
setting, the most common way MRSA is spread is by health care workers’ hands.
 

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4. Q: What about community gyms, do they have MRSA?
A:MRSA is everywhere so Yes it could very well be living on communal equipment at a gym. 
The best protection is to ALWAYS practice good hand hygiene
 

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5. Q: How is MRSA diagnosed?
A: Your healthcare practitioner can have a simple test performed. The VHA MRSA
Prevention Initiative requires VA facilities to test patients upon admission and
discharge with a simple and painless nasal swab test.
 

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6. Q: Why is MRSA prevention important?
A: MRSA is responsible for 100,000 U.S. hospitalizations each year. MRSA tremendously
increases the total burden of infection for the patient and increases the risk of death four-fold.
These patients have hospital stays more than two and a half times longer which also
presents significant financial burden. Hospital charges are at least three times as much as
that of a non-MRSA infected patient.

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