Infection Control
The goal of MidCentral Health's infection control service is to reduce the risk of infection to customers and staff at Palmerston North Hospital and Horowhenua Health Centre.
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Methycillin-Resistant-Staphylococcus-Aureus (MRSA)
If a person has been a patient in another hospital within three months of being admitted to the wards, they may need to be nursed in isolation from other patients in a single room within the ward. This is called Contact Isolation and it is because there is a particular germ which lives in hospitals called Methycillin-Resistant-Staphylococcus-Aureus (MRSA).
Some people can pick up the germ and carry it without being aware of it. For this reason all staff and patients transferring between hospitals are tested for this germ. This involves taking swabs from the nose and groin on two occasions, 48hours apart. It takes about 72 hours for the laboratory to culture the swabs and produce a result. Most patients return a negative result but remain in isolation until the results of both sets of swabs are known. During this time doctors and nurses will wear gloves and gowns over their clothing while undertaking the patient’s care. This is a routine precaution but it is very important to limit the potential spread of this germ.
Some patients, as a result of their treatment, may be temporarily more prone to infection than usual. For this reason these patients are also nursed in isolation in a single room within the ward. Doctors and nurses also wear gloves and gowns over their clothing when in direct contact with the patient. This is called Protective Isolation and it is an attempt to protect these patients from common germs.
More Information about Infection Control
Further helpful information about infection control can be accessed through the National Division of Infection Control Nurses website.
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