MRSA prevelance in the context of COVID-19
Start Date
29-4-2022 3:45 PM
Location
Alter Hall Poster Session 2 - 3rd floor
Abstract
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a strain of bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics. For this reason, it continues to challenge our healthcare system. In 2019, there were 323,700 estimated cases and 10,600 fatalities reported in the United States (CDC 2020). Healthcare workers can be possible vectors for MRSA transmission (Albrich & Harbarth, 2008). Doctors and nurses are known to colonize MRSA on their skin 3-5 times more than the general public (Albrich & Harbarth). In another experiment, Angen et. al found that, after going to a MRSA infected swine farm, 62% of people who did not wear a mask and 9% of people who did wear a mask colonized MRSA (2019). In 2014, Xavier students Brown et. al found that nursing students colonize MRSA 2 times more than non-nursing students. In this experiment, our aim is to expand on this research and further determine if the mask mandate has affected MRSA colonization. Our experiment included swabbing the hands, noses, and cellular devices of nursing students in their clinical and preclinical years at Xavier University. Swabs were plated onto mannitol salt agar (MSA) plates for the detection of S. aureus, and positive colonies were transferred to CHROMagar MRSA plates for detection of MRSA. Our hypotheses are: 1. MRSA colonization rates in the noses of participants will be significantly less than the rates on the hands of participants; and, 2. nasal colonization rates of MRSA in clinical nursing students in 2022 will be significantly less than colonization rates in 2014; and, 3. nursing students in clinicals colonize MRSA significantly more than nursing students who are not in clinicals in 2022. Our results support differences in MRSA colonization among nursing students in their clinical and preclinical years.
MRSA prevelance in the context of COVID-19
Alter Hall Poster Session 2 - 3rd floor
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a strain of bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics. For this reason, it continues to challenge our healthcare system. In 2019, there were 323,700 estimated cases and 10,600 fatalities reported in the United States (CDC 2020). Healthcare workers can be possible vectors for MRSA transmission (Albrich & Harbarth, 2008). Doctors and nurses are known to colonize MRSA on their skin 3-5 times more than the general public (Albrich & Harbarth). In another experiment, Angen et. al found that, after going to a MRSA infected swine farm, 62% of people who did not wear a mask and 9% of people who did wear a mask colonized MRSA (2019). In 2014, Xavier students Brown et. al found that nursing students colonize MRSA 2 times more than non-nursing students. In this experiment, our aim is to expand on this research and further determine if the mask mandate has affected MRSA colonization. Our experiment included swabbing the hands, noses, and cellular devices of nursing students in their clinical and preclinical years at Xavier University. Swabs were plated onto mannitol salt agar (MSA) plates for the detection of S. aureus, and positive colonies were transferred to CHROMagar MRSA plates for detection of MRSA. Our hypotheses are: 1. MRSA colonization rates in the noses of participants will be significantly less than the rates on the hands of participants; and, 2. nasal colonization rates of MRSA in clinical nursing students in 2022 will be significantly less than colonization rates in 2014; and, 3. nursing students in clinicals colonize MRSA significantly more than nursing students who are not in clinicals in 2022. Our results support differences in MRSA colonization among nursing students in their clinical and preclinical years.
