Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that commonly colonises human skin and mucosa.

Normally the bacteria cause no harm and those colonised with S. aureus remain asymptomatic. S. aureus can however lead to serious infections when bacteria spread to the bloodstream which may occur when the skin is broken, for example following surgery or a medical procedure such as cannulation. S. aureus may cause a range of illness including skin and wound infections, infected eczema, abscesses or joint infections, endocarditis, pneumonia, osteomyelitis, urinary tract infections and bacteraemia (blood stream infection).

Some S. aureus bacteria are resistant to the antibiotic meticillin, these are termed meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Please see MRSA for further information.

Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a cytotoxin produced by some strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Please see PVL for further information.

S. aureus can be spread from close contact with infected people, or touching surfaces or objects contaminated with S. aureus. Vulnerable groups include people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, vascular disease, eczema, lung disease and the immunocompromised.

It can also be spread through staff’s hands if staff do not adhere to the 5 moments of Hand Hygiene (HH) using the 7 step technique. It is also essential that staff use PPE appropriately ensuring that gloves are used and changed appropriately with HH. This will help protect both staff and patients from transmission.

If NIAS staff are aware that the patient has a suspected or confirmed case this should be communicated to the Control Room (Emergency or Non-emergency as appropriate) and the staff in the receiving unit when transferring the patient to ensure effective patient care and management.

• Contact precautions should be used
• Hand Hygiene should be completed as per the 5 moments in line with usual practice.
• Eye protection should always be risk assessed and used with any patient where there is a risk of splashes including spitting and productive coughing.
• Gloves and Aprons should be worn.
• The patient should ideally be transported via ambulance (eg. PCS) with no other patients present where possible. Individual cases can be discussed with the IPC team and a risk assessment can be made.

• Laundry should be treated as contaminated, placed into an alginate bag and placed into a red laundry bag.

All equipment and the ambulance should have an in-between patient clean paying particular attention to touch points.

Staff do not need to be followed up.