P.E.I. stepping up fight against MRSA

Most people being admitted to hospital on P.E.I. will soon be tested for MRSA, a potentially deadly super bug, on admission.

Dr. Greg German, Health PEI's medical microbiologist, said under new guidelines everyone except those being admitted to mental health or obstetrics units will be swabbed, in their noses and on their backsides, for MRSA.

Orthopedic surgery patients found to be positive will be decolonized.

"It sounds somewhat scary, this term decolonization," said German.

"But it really means you're getting a soap, you're getting a nasal cream twice a day in your nose, and you're getting a shampoo and you may be taking one or two straightforward antibiotics. Then we do that for seven days and then that's it."

German said he has decolonized 30 Islanders. Testing for MRSA will start by the end of the year.

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