Hospitals sometimes perform what are informally known as “bum swabs” as a routine part of patient safety protocols. This practice helps medical professionals identify specific bacteria that, while often harmless to healthy individuals, could pose significant risks to vulnerable patients within a hospital setting. Screening is a preventative measure to safeguard patient well-being and prevent complications. It allows healthcare providers to implement targeted interventions, ensuring a safer environment.
Understanding Targeted Bacteria
Hospitals primarily look for specific bacteria that can cause serious infections in certain patient populations. One such bacterium is Group B Streptococcus (GBS), common in the digestive and genital tracts of many healthy adults, including about 25% of pregnant individuals. GBS typically causes no symptoms in healthy carriers.
Other concerns are antibiotic-resistant organisms like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). These bacteria can colonize the skin, nose, or perianal area without causing illness, but become problematic if they enter areas like wounds or the bloodstream.
Why Early Detection is Crucial
Detecting these bacteria early is important due to the potential risks they pose to susceptible individuals. For pregnant individuals, GBS can be passed to the newborn during vaginal birth, potentially leading to serious complications such as sepsis, pneumonia, or meningitis. These newborn infections can be life-threatening.
For other patient groups, particularly those undergoing surgery or with weakened immune systems, MRSA and VRE can cause healthcare-associated infections. These infections can affect surgical sites, the urinary tract, or the bloodstream, leading to prolonged hospital stays.
When Swabs Are Performed
Healthcare providers perform these swabs under specific circumstances to ensure effective screening. For GBS, routine screening is recommended for all pregnant individuals between 36 and 37 weeks of pregnancy. This timing allows for appropriate management if the bacteria are detected closer to delivery.
Swabs for MRSA and VRE are commonly performed before certain surgeries, especially orthopedic or cardiac procedures, or upon admission to intensive care units. Screening also occurs if a patient has a history of previous MRSA or VRE colonization or is transferred from another healthcare facility.
Managing Detected Bacteria
If a patient tests positive for these bacteria, healthcare teams implement specific measures to manage the situation and protect others. For GBS-positive pregnant individuals, intravenous antibiotics, typically penicillin or ampicillin, are administered during labor and delivery. This treatment significantly reduces the risk of transmission to the newborn.
If MRSA or VRE is detected, hospitals often employ enhanced infection control measures, such as private rooms or cohorting with other colonized patients. Healthcare staff also use contact precautions, including gloves and gowns, to prevent spread. Decolonization treatments, such as antiseptic washes and nasal ointments, may be prescribed, especially before surgery, to reduce the bacterial load.