Mrsa exposure..really worried?

[LightInMe]

Hi, my concerns are possible Mesa exposure.
I work in a healthcare facility.
While emptying a pt Foley catheter, which contain her drainage for her feces. I felt some splash sort of in my eye and my leg. I was wearing PPE but my facility just got eye shields.
I finished what I was doing and flushed my eye, the other CNA needed help so I went back in to help, she then shook the patients sheet that she was covered in my face over and over and I yelled for her to stop.
Since then, I've been stressed and trying to stay away from my family scared I have it.
I went to urgent care, no tests were done and the NP said it was highly unlikely I caught anything. Saw me back in a week and said I was good.
However, I'm still worried. I've been breaking out with itching All over and when I scratch bumps appear. Sometimes bumps appear when I don't.
On my fave along my jar line. I have three pimples with pus appear. One popped when I put toothpaste on it and the others when down after 3 days.
NOW..I have a pimple on my neck, it hurts and is hard when I push down on it. Other than that its going down and didn't get big just ordinary pimple size. It has a whitehead. I didn't notice it until moisturizing my hair.
I'm going to see my Dr of course, but really worried.
Any comments or advice?

[mkh9]

Fecal matter has more bacteria in and of itself. But not necessarily any more or less MRSA. Yes It is gross. You can occasionally get a neck pimple even when you don't normally get them.  It sounds like you will be okay. I think if You had MRSA you would have had a worse infection by now.
mkh9

[LightInMe]

It wasn't urine, it was liquid fecal matter that splashed. This happened over a month ago.
I've been getting pimples on my face and one on my neck plus I've been itchy.
I have acne but still paranoid because I have gotten one on my neck before.
They don't grow at all but has a whitehead and go back down.
I'm just really scared.

[mkh9]

I see. Of course if you had the HepB vaccine it wouldn't matter as well. But the incidence of Hepatitis C is not zero in children but it is low. See link Below. Also, HIV is less than 1% but that is about the risk of a needle stick and they test for that.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16615966

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/gender/pregnantwomen/index.html

It is up to you if you feel you want to test for these.

MRSA I think is more your question and that I would worry more about the splash in the eye than the sheets. If it is the one with the sheets it is not likely. Just watch that they don't change into a boil or get crusty looking. If they do you can either see your doctor and have them culture it for MRSA to be sure that is what it is and they probably will give you oral antibiotics instead of a topical. If they remain pimple like you can put the topical  or just leave them alone and see if they go away normally. Let  me know if you have any other questions about it.
mkh9

[mkh9]

p.s. regarding the eye keep a watch on that. If it gets red, swollen or has gummy stuff in the corner see your doctor.

[LightInMe]

I'm sorry, I was half way sleep. The NP said it was highly unlikely. They didn't test me just had a list if the patient diagnosis. She gave me antibiotic eye drops and saw me back and said everything was fine.

[LightInMe]

Hi , I did report it and so NP at urgent care, she didn't test just said  it was unlikely. The patient wasn't tested, just give a little of infections she had
This one is in kids
Twoa xa

[mkh9]

Hi, well which patient had MRSA, the one you splashed your eye or the one that the other nurse shook the sheets? It is more likely to get something with the splash in the face than with the sheets. But first try to keep your hands off of your face. It doesn't sound like a Staph but if you have one you will spread it if you did have one. Staph can usually be crusty scab like and yellow-brown, or like a boil and can have pus. But MRSA will respond to topical antibiotics. It is just resistant to Methicillin and similar drugs. You can try putting some Neosporin antibiotic ointment (OTC) on these spots then wash your hands and then wash anything you touched with a disinfectant wipe and wash the towels etc. Maybe twice a day. Follow the package insert. And see if they go away. Mupirocin (Bactroban) topical will also kill MRSA (I think this is prescription only). So there are lots of topicals that can kill it if you actually got it. They probably would give you  an oral pill if you are not allergic to sulfa drugs Bactrim works and many other antibiotics. So try not to worry just because it could be MRSA. I think you just have pimples. They are worsened by stress and you may have gotten them from the dirty environment. But, of course see your doctor if anything gets worse and you should have reported the eye splash to your supervisor as a work incident. You are at risk for hepatitis and HIV from a splash to the eye. You need to report it and get tested for both hepatitis B and C and HIV. Remember the chance of getting that depends on the person having it which is very low and then even if they have it, it is low too. But you should know that it is a risk and they should get a baseline test on you then retest you for Hepatitis in about 3 months and HIV using a 4th generation duo assay at about 35-40 days. You will have to follow their work protocol. They may want to test you more often for work purposes. I have gone through this too. I was stuck by a needle when I was a phlebotomist with an HIV positive patient during the time when HIV just came out. It was very scary. So they didn't have the new testing they have now. Also, I was working as a microbiologist and dropped a tube in serology when I was working with an STD clinic patient sample and it splashed in my eyes, nose and mouth. They helped me to the eye wash and it was gross. They tested me for HIV and Hepatitis. I was scared. But due to HIPPA, they wouldn't test the patient sample to see if it was positive so I had to go through all that again. These things happen when you are a health care worker. Just be strong and realize they have to test you. You do have to report it. It has been years now and I am negative for Hepatitis B and  C. Back then , they didn't test you for Hep C. If they still don't  I would do it on your own.'
Take care,
mkh9

[LightInMe]

The patients had mrsa in wounds, urine and blood