"Butt" and/or nasal swabs

I've seen a few questions about these so I thought I might be able to shed some light on the whole swab issue for those not in the know.

Some people, not all, will be swabbed for VRE and MRSA when admitted to hospital. VRE (Vancomycin Resistant Entero****us) and MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylo****us Aureus) are two types of antibiotic resistant bacteria that can cause difficult to treat infections due to their resistance to antibiotics. VRE likes to hang out in the rectum and MRSA in the nose.

People can be colonized with either of these bacteria without being sick themselves. The danger is that if one carries either bacterium, it can be transmitted to someone with a weaker immune system. As many people in hospitals are immunocompromised, it is imperative to prevent these "superbugs" from spreading.

Different hospitals have different rules about who gets swabbed. Some centres swab everyone, some swab only if you've had an overnight hospital stay in the last six months, some swab if you work in a hospital setting.

A large portion of the population (20-30%) of the population in Canada carry MRSA. VRE is present to a much smaller degree but I'm not certain of the percentage. If you do carry either of these bacteria you will likely be placed in isolation. This is not to protect YOU but to protect other patients from coming into contact with these bacteria.

The easiest, and best, way to prevent the spread of MRSA and VRE is handwashing.

You can read more about either of these bacteria at Canada's public health site.

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/id-mi/mrsa-eng.php

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/nois-sinp/vre-erv-eng.php

Thea

I was ready to be swabbed after reading others experience,  However I wasnt.

Judy

I was swabbed 2x.  On admittance and before discharge.  It really isnt that bad.  It takes all of 2 seconds.  I didnt mind.  Better to be safe and make sure others dont get sick because of me.

Thanks for posting that Thea - there are a few people on OH who are confused about hospital-acquired infections.
Your Information was valuable.

Thanks Thea. I was one of those who had never heard about being swabbed . Must have lived in a cave.

At the hospitals in my area if you go into the ER for care, and tell them you've been admitted in a hospital in the last year you get swabbed.
I didn't in the my preop stuff or even before I left which surprised me a bit cuz the man right next door to my room had MRSA and we shared the same nurse. I saw them coming and going from that room in their protective gowns and gloves and when I asked about it she said it was no big worry, that it only was  risky if people with open wounds have it.. After she left the room I looked down to my staple lines and thought hmmm.. those are kinda open looking to me LOL

Thanks for the explanation, I was wondering about that.

I had this yesterday!  It was a swab of each nostril, one of each arm pit, one of the groin area, and one down the ole butt crack!  Pretty harmless but I certainly wasn't expecting it!

I was swabed at my preop appointment and upon discharge.