Developing and Implementing an MRSA Clearance Program in an Antenatal Clinic prior to delivery in an Acute Health Care Setting
Leah Stott1, , 1WCHN, North Adelaide, SA, Australia
Background
When women presented to the Women’s Outpatient Department with a history of MRSA they did not receive MRSA clearance swabs and staff wore PPE as per contact precautions during all antenatal visits. Contact precautions continued in the operating theatre/delivery suite and on the post-natal ward. Inpatients were nursed in isolation rooms with a red stop sign on the door informing staff that the consumer requires contact precautions. The consumer on the post-natal ward was not permitted to leave the room to access the consumer kitchen, breast feeding class, physiotherapy class or consumer lounge. The consumers often complained of being embarrassed by staff wearing PPE when they have visitors and often complain of feeling isolated by not being able to associate with any of the other mothers on the post-natal ward.
Method or Action
An MRSA clearance list was designed by generating and distributing a consumer list once a week of all the consumers who would be attending the WOPD with MRSA using an Electronic Medical Record System. The staff of the WOPD would conduct the clearance swabs.
Results
In 2022 77% of women who presented to the WOPD were cleared of MRSA. The program has been expanded to Aboriginal Family Birthing Program, Maternal and Fetal Medicine and Shared Care midwifes.
Conclusion
Clearing women of MRSA in the WOPD decreases the amount of PPE required decreasing cost and waste production. Most importantly clearing women of MRSA has increased the accessibility to services women can access in the post-natal environment.
Biography
Leah Stott has worked in infection prevention and control at the Womens and Childrens Health Network for 8 years and strives to help improve the health of women and babies at this service through partnering with consumers to improve their health care experience.