The Prevention of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDROs) for Long-Term Care Facilities course will educate healthcare providers on multidrug-resistant organisms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly 2 million people every year in the United States get infections that are resistant to antibiotics. These antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also called multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) can cause extreme and severe disease.
MDROs can exist in virtually every healthcare setting. However, facilities should determine specific MDRO prevention and control strategies based on the patient population and unique characteristics of that facility.
What you’ll learn
- Introduction to MDROs
- Causes of MDROs
- How to prevent MDROs
- Standard and transmission-based precautions
Details
Course length: 45 minutes.
Languages: American English
Key features: Audio narration, learning activity, and post-assessment
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What are MDROs?
Organisms are drug resistant when treatments that usually aid in stopping the infection fail to stop the organism causing the infection. Multidrug-resistant organisms are organisms that are resistant to multiple types of drugs that are normally used as treatments. MDROs can exist in the form of fungi or viruses, but bacteria are the most common form.
When microbes have high antimicrobial resistance, the germs continue to grow and spread. A common type of antimicrobial resistance is antibiotic resistance, which occurs when bacteria are resistant to commonly used antibiotics. This course provides more in-depth information on the kinds of MDROs.
C. Diff Infections
Clostridium dificile, or C. diff, is a germ or bacterium that can cause severe inflammation of the colon and other related symptoms. There are several risk factors for C. diff infection. For example, adults aged 65 or older or those who recently stayed in a hospital or other care facility may be more vulnerable to this infection. There are also several common symptoms of this type of bacterial infection. In particular, patients are likely to experience severe diarrhea or fever. It is important to monitor patients and healthcare personnel for C. diff infection. Lab tests can confirm if someone is infected. For more information on what to do to treat C. diff infections, please take this training.
MRSA Bacteria
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This course describes severe problems that are due to MRSA infections.
In particular, MRSA can cause bloodstream and surgical site infections. Therefore, there are several pathways for MRSA to negatively affect the patient. Also, MRSA can cause Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP), which can be deadly. Healthcare workers must remain aware of MRSA risk factors to better protect themselves and their patients.
Anyone can get an MRSA infection. High-risk situations include crowded places, skin-to-skin contact, and shared equipment.
MRSA can spread through contact with infected materials. This could be from a contaminated wound or even through shared personal items like towels that have come into contact with infected skin. There are several different symptoms of an MRSA infection. Symptoms typically depend on which part of the body has become infected. Most infections lead to a bump or infected patch of skin.
MDROs and Infections
MDROs can cause infection in nearly any part of the body. However, there are some common locations for infections to occur.
These include the bloodstream, the lungs, and the skin. Multidrug-resistant organisms are caused by the improper use of antibiotics. Antibiotics should only be used to treat bacterial infections to limit antibiotic resistance.
Infected Patients or Residents
When residents are discharged or transferred between facilities, the original facility must notify the receiving facility of any known multidrug-resistant organism infections. If this information is not provided, the receiving facility can ask for it. Laboratory results are also useful in determining if an MDRO infection is present. Take this training to learn more about procedures for infected patients or residents.
Administrative Measures for MDROs
This course describes several administrative recommendations for preventing multidrug-resistant organisms. For example, MDRO prevention and control should be an organizational priority. Additionally, support should be provided so that proper infection prevention resources are available. Experts can assist in analyzing MDRO data to recognize problems within the facility.
Healthcare facilities can also incorporate surveillance measures. These measures must ensure that clinical laboratories notify appropriate staff once an MDRO has been detected. Also, facilities should determine ways to test for antimicrobial susceptibility to lessen the impact of MDROs.
Environmental Measures
Facilities should ensure that the rooms of residents infected with an MDRO are cleaned and disinfected at least daily. This will help to prevent further transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms. All surfaces and equipment should also be cleaned frequently.
Separate medical items must be dedicated to infected versus noninfected patients or residents. These could come in the form of disposable medical items.
Standard Precautions
Infection prevention practices are often referred to as Standard or Transmission-Based Precautions. These practices include Droplet, Contact, and Airborne Precautions. Contact Precautions are especially important in preventing MDROs. Additionally, basic infection prevention policies should be enforced. A common example of this is hand hygiene, which is an effective way to prevent the transmission of multi-drug-resistant organisms.
Contact Precautions for MDROs
This training describes Contact Precaution Guidelines for resident care facilities. Adhering to these precautions will help protect residents and healthcare personnel from MDRO infection. Contact Precautions are used when there is likely to be a multidrug-resistant organism infection.
