How would you feel about being exposed to MRSA

[slseiswirth]

My MIL had surgery in December and now is hospitalized due to her wound being severely infected with MRSA. DH and I have stayed away from the hospital since we saw her on Sunday (before we knew she had MRSA). A lot of people in the family think I am being ridiculous for not wanting to risk any further exposure to the infection for me the baby or the kids. I just really worry about having to treat it while pregnant. I do not feel comfortable taking antibiotics unless absolutely necessary and I just would not be able to avoid it if I were to somehow pick up the infection. I also worry about anything ruining my chances for a homebirth. I doubt this would risk me out but the thought of the lost money that we have paid the midwife and also having to have a hospital birth stresses me out. Am I being unreasonable? Would you be weary to have your family go visit her while in the hospital? Do I need to loosen up? 

[Tumble Bumbles]

I would totally not visit but I avoid hospitals in general due to the incredible infections running rampant through them, which is why I would never choose to birth in one. I don't think you're being ridiculous at all. Open MRSA infections are nasty, incredibly infectious, and I wouldn't expose my kids or myself to it if I could help it. My sister has MRSA (from visiting someone in the hospital...true!... which further fuels your case lol) and when she came to visit us she used a separate towel a day that she put in a trash bag to wash/dry on hot before she left and used a separate bathroom for shaving/showering and she didn't even have an open infection. She's very cautious and considerate though. I don't know if all that was necessary not having an open infection but the point is, you've got to be careful.

Send flowers lol

[rebecca_n]

i would definitely be wary -nak

[Katwoman]

I think you need to do what you feel comfortable with. 

To answer your question, no, I would not go to the hospital until the infection was under control.  I readily admit I don't know much about the transmission of MRSA, ie do you get it only if you have an open wound?  Do you have to touch the infected person?  So perhaps my response is based on ignorance.......

At the same time, I also feel more responsible when pg or have a babe in the house.  It's another level of vigilance that I don't have for myself, but feel - as being responsible for making choices for people that can't make the choice for themselves, that I better err on the side of caution.  (Unless your MIL is dying.  She can always see the kids once she's better/out of the hospital.)

[slseiswirth]

She is definitely not dying thank goodness. All of her visitors are not taking the precautions to wear the hospital provided gown and gloves when visiting either which makes me a bit more weary about going to see her. She has an very open wound with a wound vaccum in it so I do believe her to still be highly contagious. 

[mdnaturalmama]

I know a good bit about MRSA, and while I wouldn't go there knowing she has it, I know that none of us can avoid it. Really. Unless you totally excluded yourself and not many ppl do that. ALL hosp employees have it, so therefore their famlies probably have it and so on. MRSA is very serious, but I don't get too worked up over it. IMO there's really nothing we're going to do about it, and most of us have probably been exposed or carry it. You carry it in your nose(and other places I believe). If you google it you'll get tons of stuff that will scare your pants off. My mother is a nurse, and my father was too, so I've talked with many many ppl about it. The more we try to bleach and disinfect everything, the worse we're going to make it. That, and the overuse of ABs, is the very reason MRSA exists in the first place! We've created this monster. I actually used to work with someone who would get really bad infections all the time. No idea how they got it, and none of us ever got it from them. We did not work in a hosp....well, not a human one anyways.

I'm not trying to say you should do what I do, or feel the way I do. I am merely giving my opinion. By all means do what you need to to keep your family safe and for your peace of mind.  =)

[CEG]

I would just say you called your doctor or midwife (let's face it, people would rather hear it was doctor) and they said that you shouldn't visit while pregnant.  Or better yet say you called the ped and they said don't take the kids in.  That way it's out of your hands and most people won't argue with that type of advice.

That said, you really don't have to be overly concerned about transmission.   MRSA is all around us, and usually the medically vulnerable are those who pick up serious infections.  Using good hand washing and the precautions from the hospital should be enough, but aren't always 100%. 

[frugalmum]

We have dealt with very serious staph infection in my family-- every time they were so severe the drs were convinced it was MRSA until the cultures came back negative (but it was staph).  Two of my children have been hospitalized and DH had surgery for the infections.

My opinion is that you need some underlying immunological weakness or vulnerability to contract it easily.  Your mother's vulnerability was an open surgical wound and possibly a compromised immune system from the surgery.  Possibly pregnancy and definitely being postpartum would fall into the category of being immunologically vulnerable.  Also having skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema will make you more vulnerable to contracting bacterial infections.

That being said, though, if you visited her in the hospital, did not touch her, did not use any bathrooms in the hospital, took a shower and changed your clothes as soon as you got home, you probably would be fine, but that is a lot to ask of a nervous pregnant woman!  As another poster said, you've probably already been exposed to it, but did not develop an infection because like most people who are exposed to it, you did not have a vulnerability for it to invade.

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

I don't think you're being unreasonable at all. I wouldn't go either.

~Rose

[Katie T]

I work in a hospital so am "exposed"  a lot. But what people don't realize is you can get it from lots of sources. It can be air born in nasal passages or contact from wounds. I would stay away from the hospital if I didn't have to go but I would not beat yourself up about going before you knew. Just remember you can get it going to Walmart or the like. I can lay dormant for a long time and not cause problems and people don't even realize they have it.