Crisis policy

Infectious Disease Policy
Infirmary Crisis Policy
In case of communicable illness on campus: 1. Notify the Dean of Students. 2. Determine the contagion of illness. 3. If illness is a reportable disease (see appendix A) report to the Madison County Health a. Ask student to go home and remain during the contagious phase of illness. b. If unable to go home due to distance or lack of family, arrange quarantine on campus, to include providing meals in room. c. Encourage student to notify parents, if not returning home, as well as professors. d. Have student compile a list of people s/he were in close contact with during the incubation period. Note: Time period will depend on type of illness. e. While maintaining confidentiality of initial student with illness, notify the close contacts of exposure and arrange vaccination, if applicable. 5. In cases of widespread illness it may be necessary to quarantine large groups of students. At this time room assignments may be temporarily changed, under the advisement of the Director of Resident Life, in order to prevent spread of illness. MRSA Policy
What is MRSA?
• Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. • MRSA is a type of infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus (Staph). • Some strains of Staph are resistant to antibiotics used to treat the infections such as methicillin and thus are called Methicillin-Resistant Staph aureus. • MRSA used to infect people who had chronic illnesses, but now it is becoming more • The first reported case of MRSA was in 1968. • The disease was confined to hospitals and nursing homes for many years. • The first published report of a case in athletics was in 1998.
How is MRSA spread?
• “Colonization means that the organism is present in or on the body but is not causing • In some settings like prisons, the cases of MRSA have been as high as 55-80%. • One study found that in community settings cases have been lower with colonization rates of 0.3-2.8% and skin and soft tissue infection rates were up to 12%. • Athletic facilities, which are warm and humid, provide the ideal environment for bacteria • Athletes become more vulnerable as their immune system temporarily lowers after a hard MRSA Infections
• Infections caused by Staph or MRSA are usually mild, are limited to the surface of the skin, and can be properly treated with good hygiene and antibiotics. • If the infection is left untreated or is not recognized early it can be hard to treat and could progress into a life-threatening blood or bone infection. • It could also lead to pneumonia and surgical wound infections. • The most common form of MRSA is skin infections such as abscesses and boils. • The area that is infected starts out as a small bump like a pimple or spider bite and becomes redder and can begin to drain pus. • The infection occurs in areas like the armpits, groin, neck, and butt because Staph • A few months after the skin infection, fever, muscular pain, and/or fatigue can occur. • Some studies found that over 50% of all skin infections seen by doctors in some parts of
How is MRSA diagnosed?
• MRSA is difficult to identify, easily misdiagnosed, and not always seen as a major threat. • Frequently, MRSA is initially diagnosed as a spider bite. • MRSA is diagnosed by taking a sample of the infection and allowing it to grow. • After the Staph has grown, a variety of antibiotics are tested to see if they will treat the
Treatment for MRSA
• Vancomycin is the recommended treatment for severe MRSA and is used only intravenously because the oral form does not absorb from the gastrointestinal tract. • Linezolid (Zyvox) has bacteriostatic activity against Staph and is used to treat skin and • Draining the abscesses is often sufficient treatment for local skin MRSA infections. • People colonized with MRSA may use a special antibiotic called mupirocin on their skin, which is called Bactroban or inside their nose, called Bactroban nasal. • This antibiotic helps to eliminate the MRSA and reduces the risk of the bacteria spreading either to other sites on the body or to other people. • However, some strains of MRSA are resistant to mupirocin.
Prevention and Management of Community-Associated MRSA(CA-MRSA)
• Keep hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and warm water or using an alcohol- • Encourage immediate showering following activity. • Avoid whirlpools or common tubs when an athlete has open wounds, scrapes, or • Avoid sharing of towels, razors, or daily athletic gear. • Properly wash athletic gear and towels after each use. • Utilize disposable towels during all athletic events. • Maintain clean facilities and equipment. • Refer to appropriate healthcare personnel all active skin lesions and lesions that do not • Administer or seek proper first aid. • Encourage healthcare personnel to seek bacterial cultures to establish a diagnosis. • Care for and cover skin lesions appropriately before participation. Appendix A.
Reportable Illnesses
Associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) Disease Chlamydia trachomatis, genital infection Streptococcal Pneumoniae, drug-resistant Haemophilus Influenzae, invasive disease Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, postdiarrheal Hepatitis B, acute, chronic, and perinatal Hepatitis C, acute or infection (past or present) HIV Infection Legionellosis Listeriosis Lyme Disease Malaria Measles Meningococcal Disease Mumps Pertussis Plague Poliomyelitis, paralytic Psittacosis Q fever Rabies, human and animal

Source: http://athletictraining.mhc.edu/forms/Infectious%20Disease%20Policy.pdf