I'm curious how the testing is accomplished? Is this a 3-second nasal swab,
a culture of the milk or wound culture?

As a nurse in a long-term care facility, I am exposed continually to people
with MRSA. I suspect I would test positive for a nasal swab, because I am
around infected people on a daily basis. It was my understanding that even
if you didn't have active infection, if you had infection in the past, you
could harbor the bacteria and continue to test positive (carrier status).

If a mother had a positive culture of a wound, that might be one thing, but
if she tested positive in a nasal swab (carrier) that could be quite a few
of the population, couldn't it? If the culture was not of her breast or
milk, is this truly an issue?

Looking forward to learning more!

Best wishes,
Sam Doak


<<Because of the rates of community-acquired MRSA being on the rise, our 
hospital has a house-wide admission standard of care that screens all
hospital 
admissions for MRSA and susequently places all MRSA positive patients on 
contact precautions until treatment completed. We've have had this policy
for 
several years, but OB clients were the last to be phased into the screening.

As of the last few months all OB admissions fall under this same admission 
contact precautions until shown to be MRSA negative. Now all pregnant 
women are screened during the last trimester (and treated before admission 
when possible). Up to this point we've only had term babies who could stay
in 
room with mom and breastfeeding didn't' come into anyone's concern. However 
today we have a 34 weeker. "Someone" had told her she couldn't pump 
because of the MRSA. She can't recall who it was. Before we approach the 
neonatologist, I'd like to have others practices in hand. 

Does any one else screen all hospital admits for MRSA and if positive do you
do 
mom/baby care differently with them?.  or NICU admissions from these 
mothers differently? Milk collection, handling and storage differently?

Thanks for your input,
Rachel Miller
South Carolina

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome