Reference no: EM132410271

A patient has arrived in the ER critically ill. She had a minor surgery the week previously and was discharged home with antibiotics. Upon arrival to the ER, the patient presented gravely ill, the surgical wound red, swollen, puss filled and her temperature elevated. A post surgical infection is suspected.

Choose only ONE (Topic) role in this scenario:

Topic 1. You are the patient

Topic 2. You are the spouse of the patient (the person who may be or may become responsible for making decisions)

Topic 3. You are the nurse caring for the patient.

Topic 4. You are the primary physician caring for the patient.

Topic 5. You are the infectious disease specialist on call for the hospital where the patient has arrived.

Compose an exposition to address the following questions;

1. Is this infection likely MRSA?

2. What would a MRSA infection look like on a patient; for example, describe how the wound presents.

3. Was the patient exposed to MRSA in the hospital prep, during the surgery the week previously or sometime afterwards (post-discharge)?

4. Where does liability for this (potential) infection rest? Is it the responsibility of the patient (making sure she followed her discharge instructions, etc), nurse(s), scrub technicians, physicians, surgeons and/or infectious disease specialists to ensure resistant diseases are kept in check in hospitals?