Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: An occupational health hazard in the prehospital setting
Open Access
- 1 October 2015
- journal article
- Published by Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine Press in Journal of Acute Disease
- Vol. 4 (4), 274-276
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joad.2015.06.003
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a serious nosocomial infection within healthcare settings, and with its community version worldwide (i.e. community-acquired-MRSA), it is safe now to classify it as an epidemic. The aim of this paper is to build the logic for the reader to understand why this drug-resistant infection can impose an occupational hazard towards emergency health services personnel in the prehospital settings. This logic started with a model, the author conceptualizes as a cross-transmission continuum, in which the author explains the role of emergency medical service personnel in possibly contributing to the transmission of MRSA back and forth the community. A solution to interrupt this continuum, particularly surveillance systems within the emergency medical service field, is suggested and discussed. This is especially important in the light of bioterrorism as surveillance can become a necessity in preparation for biological disasters whether they are intentional (i.e. bioterrorism) or natural (i.e. outbreaks)Keywords
This publication has 19 references indexed in Scilit:
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Nasal Colonization Prevalence among Emergency Medical Services PersonnelPrehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2013
- Occurrence of Skin and Environmental Contamination with Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusbefore Results of Polymerase Chain Reaction at Hospital Admission Become AvailableInfection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 2010
- Prevalence and Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus Colonization among Healthcare Professionals in an Urban Teaching HospitalInfection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 2010
- Community-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusThe Lancet, 2010
- Etiology and treatment of community-associated methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureusAmerican Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 2008
- A Model for Surveillance of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus AureusPublic Health Reports, 2008
- Bacterial Pathogens in Ambulances: Results of Unannounced Sample CollectionPrehospital Emergency Care, 2008
- Control of endemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus–-recent advances and future challengesClinical Microbiology & Infection, 2006
- Multiple Cases of Familial Transmission of Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureusJournal of Clinical Microbiology, 2006
- EMTS' K NOWLEDGE R EGARDING T RANSMISSION OF I NFECTIOUS D ISEASEPrehospital Emergency Care, 2000