MRSA?

My birthday girl (5 yrs old today) was diagnosed with MRSA yesterday. She had what we thought was a spider bite on her leg and it turned out to be MRSA instead. We are thinking she may have gotten it from the basketball gym where her bubbas play but that's just a guess.

I am still in the beginning stages of getting approved for lapband. Thursday is my preliminary appointment for testing and psych and nutrition evals, etc.

The pediatrician is treating the MRSA with Bactrim. I already had Hibiclens in the house as my surgeon requires it and I wanted to be prepared, so I have been treating her wound with Hibiclens, alcohol and Neosporin and keeping it bandaged. I am washing my hands before and after with Hibiclens, and everyone in the house is using it to shower with. I am trying to keep all surfaces disinfected. I have another child with severe eczema and am paranoid that it will get into one of his sores.

My Questions:
Can her outbreak possibly cause my nasal swab to be positive? If my nasal swab comes back positive, will they cancel/postpone my surgery? Are there any other precautions I should be taking right now?

I will definitely be talking with the surgeon's nurses about the situation, but I was just wondering if anyone on here might have had any experience or insight so I will know what to expect. Thanks!

Unfortunately MRSA is so common now that it does wouldn't nor shouldn't affect your surgery.  The hospital or surgical facility will just have to be aware so that they could take the proper precautions in the OR and the hospital room.  For our patients, even though they just have a history, we put them in private/isolation rooms.
We are probably all carriers of MRSA but sometimes stress brings it out.
Take care and good luck with everything!
Jan

Continue to wash your hands as you are doing and keep her wound if draining covered. My surgeon does cancel if your swab is positive for MRSA until it is treated. I work in a hospital so I am around MRSA often and my swab was negative so just be precautions as you are already doing.

When you speak to your surgeons office flat out ASK if you are speaking with a BSN or a medical assistant.  A medical assistant cannot help you with this situation, an RN/BSN can.

I would venture a guess that MRSA exists in the noses of every person in the USA.  That's where it loves to sit and wait.  I am the RN for a police forum and I tell those guys constantly... when they write a ticket let the person keep the pen.  They have no idea if their fingers have been in their nose or not.  It's just not worth the risk and you are absolutely correct to be concerned about your son.

Thing is, it is just about impossible to totally prevent the spread of this infection.  You are doing all the right things to try, but you can't prevent every source.

And finally, why are you getting a band?  Why not a surgery type that is far safer LONG TERM with vastly superior weight loss?

Hi - my daughter had MRSA when she was 16.  Our MD suggested that I treat myself and everyone in the house with a little dab of neosporin or polysporin under the nostrils daily.  

Hang in there!