Your nasal swab came back positive for MSSA. This does not change your surgery, but please follow the procedure below
Mupirocin 2% Ointment Instructions
For 5 days prior to your surgery (Starting on Sept 8th):
- Apply a small quantity to a cotton swab/Q-tip
- Apply inside your nostril as far back as you can tolerate
- Repeat in the other nostril
- Do this twice daily, morning and evening
- Apply the morning of your surgery before leaving home
Note: Even if you do not start this procedure a full 5 days before your surgery, using it just a few days will be beneficial.
What are MSSA and MRSA?
MRSA stands for Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus. MRSA is a variety of the staphylococcus bacterium that has developed a resistance to Methicillin, a synthetic form of penicillin, and to other commonly used antibiotics. MSSA is another variety of staphylococcus that has not yet developed this resistance.
Why do we screen for MRSA and MSSA?
Both MRSA and MSSA bacteria are commonly found on our skin, in our nostrils and throughout the environment, along with many other germ varieties. Even though these germs are in contact with us, they do not often cause an actual infection.
But if you have a hospital stay and have a surgical incision, the risk of any germ causing an infection increases. To reduce this risk as much as possible, we ask all scheduled surgical patients to bathe with an antibacterial soap prior to their hospital admission.
Screening Process
We screen pre-surgical patients by performing a simple nasal swab/Q-tip. In those patients who screen positive for MRSA or MSSA in the nostrils, we prescribe an ointment to help eliminate these germs.
You will be informed 2 to 3 days after a swab is taken if you need to use the ointment. If you are not contacted, you can assume your swab did not show MRSA or MSSA.
For more information regarding community acquired MRSA, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/
If your nasal swab reveals MRSA - Hospital Precautions
After surgery you will be assigned a private room with "contact precautions". This means:
- Anyone having direct contact with you, including visitors, will need to wear disposable gloves and gown (found in every room)
- Hand washing is required upon leaving your room
- Visitors may sit in your room without gloves and gown if they do not have contact with you
- Visiting children should be monitored closely and not allowed contact with the patient
Document version: V1 06.2022