Healthcare As standard procedure warranted in this case, her obstetrician injected her with varicella zoster specific immunoglobulin. The injection did occur too late, but this is a special case warranting attention and was a prophylactic to protect the baby. A few days later the RN developed chickenpox anyway. The reasons why the vaccine did not take could have been the fact that the RN had already been exposed, and the situation is referred to as "breakthrough varicella," (National Centre for Immunisation, 2009, p. 3). Breakthrough varicella is a mild form of the infection, and yet is still contagious. Varicella vaccine should not be given to the baby until it is twelve months of age, but it may not be necessary at all due to the potential in vitro exposure to the varicella zoster virus. Infants "should receive no specific treatment or vaccination after exposure to Varicella zoster virus (VZV) but can later receive acyclovir (Immunization Action Coalition, 2014).

b. According to the Immunization Action Coalition (2014), "There has been only one published report of mother to child transmission of varicella vaccine virus." Moreover, "if the mother is at high risk of exposure to varicella, the benefits of vaccination probably outweigh the risk of transmission to the infant," (Immunization Action Coalition, 2014). If the mother gets chickenpox during the first half of her pregnancy, then there is a small chance the baby will have some serious effects including scarring and birth defects (Children, Youth, and Women's Health Service, n.d.). The risk is much higher when the woman gets chickenpox closer to the delivery date, which is why the vaccine may be given in these cases.

c. Six infection control issues this case raises include...

In this case, the nurse should have reported her chicken pox exposure earlier and had been vaccinated. Second, chickenpox cannot be prevented solely by hand washing, so this is not an issue in this case. Third, cleaning is also not going to be effective but only nurses with proven immunity should deal with the potentially or actually infected patients. Fourth, the post important issue is exposure and awareness. Fifth, all pregnant nurses and health care workers should be required to report their status. Finally, negative airflow rooms and isolation may be warranted (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014).
Part B

a. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is resistant to many antibiotics. It can "cause severe problems such as bloodstream infections, pneumonia and surgical site infections" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Therefore, treatment of the wounds must be thorough and immediate. When the person is infected, wounds must therefore be covered fully and the bandages kept clean and dry until the wound has been healed fully. Drainage must be done professionally. Frequent hand washing is a must for the infected and all surrounding employees. The person should not share their personal items that may have come into contact with the pus from wounds, like towels or sheets, during this time.

b. Treatment options for a patient with MRSA or similar infections include having the health care professionals treat and drain the wound using proper procedures. In some cases, the health care worker may need the physician to prescribe antibiotics for the infection, but the infection may not…