Participation low at first MRSA forums

Monday’s forum, held by Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, was part of a statewide initiative to raise awareness about MRSA, which has been in the spotlight the past six months after it was reported in public schools. Since August, there have been 60 cases of MRSA reported in Montgomery County Public Schools. Merry King, a special education teacher at Hoover Middle School, died of the disease in December.

The forums are spearheaded by the Maryland Hospital Association. About 22 hospitals statewide are holding the forums. Four more forums have been scheduled this month in Montgomery County at Holy Cross Hospital, Suburban Hospital, Montgomery General Hospital and Washington Adventist Hospital.

‘‘There has been a bit of a panic in the community about MRSA and we thought that it would be important for hospitals...to host a forum to educate residents on this serious health concern,” Ronan said.

Monday’s forum, which was held at the Universities of Shady Grove, was host to about a dozen residents. Residents flocked to similar forums in October 2006, organized by the Maryland Hospital Association to educate the community about pandemic flu.

The forums on MRSA are also in part targeted at parents, Ronan said, because of increased concern over MRSA in public schools. The forums aim to highlight strategies for MRSA prevention, especially hand washing, Ronan said.

According to infection control experts who spoke at the meeting, staph bacteria, including MRSA, often cause skin infections that resemble a pimple or a boil. Skin infections related to MRSA are treatable with certain antibiotics. The disease is transferred from skin-to-skin contact and is common in areas where a large number of people are together in close quarters, such as schools, nursing homes and prisons. The disease is also common among athletes.

‘‘This is not just a school issue,” said panelist Michael Anne Preas, an infection control nurse at Shady Grove. ‘‘It’s an issue for people who have skin.”

Panelists urged citizens to clean their hands, avoid sharing personal items, cover cuts and scratches and to report any suspicious wounds.

‘‘It’s better to err on the side of caution and see your doctor... rather than wait and see what happens,” said panelist Gaurov Dayal, chief medical officer for Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.

Experts on the panel also discussed the distinction between different types of MRSA. Skin infections that commonly result from MRSA are treatable and distinct from MRSA in the bloodstream, which is much more dangerous, experts said.

MRSA acquired in the community is different than the type acquired in the hospital, experts said, and cases of community-associated MRSA are on the rise. Experts are hoping to drive home prevention methods in order to curb MRSA.

Gaithersburg resident Jacquie D’Auria, who attended the meeting, said she felt more people should be aware of simple prevention methods.

‘‘People can do something to help themselves by washing their hands,” D’Auria said.

TO LEARN MORE

Forums in MontgomeryCounty will be held:

From 7-9 tonight at the Professional and Community Education Center Auditoriums A & C at Holy Cross Hospital, 1500 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring. Call 301-754-8800 or visit www.holycrosshealth.org

From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. March 13 at Suburban Hospital, 8600 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda. Registration is required. Please call 301-896-3939 to register or e-mail soc@suburbanhospital.org www.suburbanhospital.org

From 6:30 to 8 p.m. March 18 at Montgomery General Hospital, 18101 Prince Philip Drive, Olney. Registration is required. To register, call 301-774-8881. For more information, visit www.montgomerygeneral.com

From 7-9 p.m. March 26 at the Washington Adventist Hospital, 7600 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park. Call 301-891-7600 or visit www.adventisthealcare.com⁄WAH