BRIDGEWATER - The public is cleared to visit South Shore Regional's fourth-floor medical unit now that the hospital has lifted restrictions due to the number of cases of patients contracting an antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

 The South Shore health district announced early last week that the limitation had ended. In a publicly released statement, South Shore Health said no new cases of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) had been reported since September 16, but the district will continue to monitor the situation.

 Visitors are being asked to check in at the nursing station before visiting and to wash their hands when entering and leaving the hospital and before and after visiting patients. South Shore Health again underlined the importance of regular handwashing to help prevent the spread of sickness.

 About 20 patients contracted the organism at the height of the MRSA issue at the hospital. Visitation to the medical unit was closed, with few exceptions, in early September when about 10 cases were detected.

 High-level efforts to contain, control and eradicate the presence of MRSA, such as the use of special soap to clean patients, translated to delays in non-essential services, patient admissions and transfers. South Shore Health spokeswoman Theresa Hawkesworth said it's expected delays in the emergency room and for patients getting into the unit from the emergency room should clear up by this week.

 Staphylococcus aureus can be found on healthy people and can get into the body and cause infection, but some bacteria develop a resistance to methicillin and other common antibiotics. Hospital officials were concerned because the bacteria poses a risk to sick patients who may have low resistance to infection.

 There were no MRSA issues at the health district's two other hospitals in Liverpool and Lunenburg.

 There could be a number of possibilities responsible for the bacteria surfacing and its spread, said registered nurse Elizabeth Watson, one of South Shore Health's infection control practitioners. A number of short- and long-term measures are being bandied about.

 "We think that there are potentially a number of contributing factors," Ms Watson noted, "and as result of those we've put together recommendations moving forward so that hopefully [we can] prevent those from happening again."

 One recommendation may be to ensure there are enough employees working in a couple of specific sectors, whenever possible, to ensure jobs can get completed in less stressful conditions. Ms Watson said there were staff shortages due to sickness, or other factors, in nursing and environmental services during a period before the MRSA was discovered.

 Other possibilities that may have led to the MRSA problem include patients of the unit visiting other patients in the unit or visitors to the unit visiting multiple patients.

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 No one or very few people may have been washing their hands before or after entering the rooms in those circumstances.

 Staff regularly screen patients for MRSA who are being admitted to hospital, moved between units and in other situations.

 Ms Watson thanked families of patients and the public for their understanding and co-operation as the district did its best to deal with the MRSA matters.

 "It was necessary," she said.

posted on 10/04/11