Surgical Patients With Multiantibiotic‐Resistant Bacteria

Although antibiotics can cure most bacterial infections, there is an increasing number of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is becoming increasingly prevalent in US health care facilities. The majority of these infections are found in patients who have extensive burns or surgical wounds. As a result, perioperative nurses must be knowledgeable about MRSA and its implications for the OR. There are many theories on how to control the spread of MRSA but not one definitive set of control measures. Perioperative nurses, in cooperation with infection control practitioners, must develop policies that detail how patients with MRSA will be treated.