Nail surgery and MRSA screening

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I work for the NHS in the UK and have just been advised that we may have to screen patients for MRSA prior to nail surgery as it is classed as elective surgery. Does anyone have any experience of this process? Thanks

 

Yes,
What would you like to know about it?

The cynic in me will advise you that it's a method of defensive practice. Why screen for MRSA alone? Why not any other bacteria too? Should we swab a patient's stomach contents/ intestines to check for overgrowth (or potential) for C.Diff? Maybe it's so we can appear as though we are doing something about these evil SUPERBUGS that the Daily Mail has scared our patients to death about? I could go on about it all day.

Nasal and perineal swabs are standard in our trust for elective day case surgery. Don't think the PCT are swabbing for MRSA prior to phenolisations yet though. I think you've got to question the motives of those who are pushing this in your trust. How many post-nail surgery infections do you get? How many of these were MRSA positive? What type of patients are you seeing for nail surgery (are they immunocompromised)?

 

Hi, Thanks for the reply. Just trying to get a feel as to whether it's common practice or not. We get very few post NS infections and I can't ever recall MRSA being a problem. But I've been asked to investgate so I am. I'm in no rush to start doing this though!

 

Not a problem Sally. Don't blame you at all!