An outbreak of the MRSA bacterium forced the closure of an entire ward at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH).

A KEMH spokesperson confirmed that Cooper Ward had to be closed for six days in September when eight patients tested positive with the MRSA bacterium. The positive results were found during routine screening for the bacterium by KEMH. In an effort to contain the possible threat, the ward was closed only to new admissions. The hospital has stressed that no one became sick or developed an illness.

“The patients remained on the ward and their families were still allowed to visit,” said Bermuda Hospitals Board public relations officer Anna Lowry. MRSA is from a family of bacteria commonly found on the skin.

It is not a health risk unless it gets inside the body or under the skin. It is not uncommon to find this bacterium in hospitals.

Ms Lowry said the bacterium is a common problem in hospitals across the world and that KEMH has a policy to minimise transmission through preventative methods.

“Indeed, our MRSA infection rate is significantly lower than most overseas hospitals in North America and the UK,” said Ms Lowry.

“If a positive test result is received, the patient is placed on isolation and a clear warning is placed on the door. Carrying MRSA does not mean you are ill. Most patients will not have symptoms, but simply carry the bacteria.

“A regime that ‘decolonises’ MRSA-positive patients is undertaken. We also counsel patients and their families on the importance of isolation,” she said.

A nurse at the hospital has said she became concerned about the germ spreading when she noticed that patients who tested positive and were to be in isolation, were in the lobby and outside entrance area unmasked enjoying a cigarette and chatting to people and other patients.

Ms Lowry said that the hospital is unable to lock down those who have tested positive with the bacterium. “We explain to them the importance of isolation in reducing transmission of MRSA but then we depend on their compliance. We are reliant on them to be compliant with the policy but they are not sick, we cannot lock them in their rooms,” she said.

One doctor I spoke with said such behaviour made a mockery of the hospital’s policy. “It defeats the purpose,” he said.

But Ms Lowry said educating patients and the public would go a long way to helping minimise the incidence of MRSA.

“Visitors have a role to play, as well,” she said. “Simple hand washing will get rid of the bacteria and protective gowns will minimise transmission.”

“As this is a hospital, our goal is to limit any possibility of transmission. Sometimes it may be necessary to stop new admissions to a ward to prevent further spread of the bacteria. This is what happened in September for a few days on Cooper Ward,” she said.

Ms Lowry said that all patients at high risk for carrying the bacterium are screened. This includes patients who have been hospitalised recently, people who have previously tested positive for MRSA, residents of long-term care facilities and dialysis patients.

“We also undertake weekly screening of all patients who are in the hospital more than 14 days, as longer hospital stays are associated with MRSA carriage. Infection control practices undertaken at KEMH, such as hand washing, isolation and environmental cleaning, are all effective at preventing the spread of MRSA,” said Ms Lowry. “All of these practices are in line with recommendations from the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America and ensure a proactive approach is in place at KEMH in tackling and limiting potential transmission.”