MRSA Prevention Guidelines
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Skin infections with resistant staph is an increasing concern in the schools.  In today’s 60 second Housecall Dr. Ken Davis discusses some prevention guidelines for your children.

Resistant staph infection of the skin, or MRSA, is increasingly common in school children.  These are some CDC guidelines for protecting a student from getting MRSA:

Teach your children to practice good hygiene at home and school:

- Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

- Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.

- Maintain a clean environment by establishing cleaning procedures for frequently touched surfaces as well as using a barrier between your skin and shared equipment such as weight-training benches.

- Shower immediately after participating in exercise, and

- Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors that come into contact with your bare skin.

If a student is observed with an open draining wound or infections they should be referred to a school nurse or other health care provider for diagnosis and treatment.

For North Mississippi Medical Center, I’m Dr. Ken Davis.