Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) management in palliative care units and hospices in Germany: a nationwide survey on patient isolation policies and quality of life.

Synopsis:

This article brings up an interesting conversation about treatment strategy in a palliative care setting.  MRSA and other chronic/common infections are almost always treated in a hospital settings with a strong course of antibiotics and in many cases isolation precautions.  What effect does this have on a patient wishing to be treated with palliative medicine?  Is there a decrease in quality of life?  Are strong courses of antibiotics and isolation necessary for patients who have body systems and minds that are already taxed?  How do you balance the patient’s wishes against the health and well being of health care professionals and other patients (spreading of infection)?  This article addresses some of these questions with 229 returned questionnaires from 179 different palliative care facilities and 181 hospice facilities across Germany.

Partial Abstract:  “For palliative care settings, little is known about the benefits of specific methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus containment regimens and the burdens patient isolation imposes on affected patients, their families, and professional caregivers.  The aim is to explore the current practice of MRSA management and its impact on inpatients’ quality of life as perceived by professional caregivers.”

Source:

Journal: Palliative Medicine

Vol/Page/Date:

Palliat Med. 2011 Nov 1. [Epub ahead of print]

Resource Type:

Journal Article

Author/Source:

Bükki J, Klein J, But L, Montag T, Wenchel HM, Voltz R, Ostgathe C.