HealthInfo Canterbury
If you have problems with repeat Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) infections, your GP may recommend that you undergo what's called decolonisation treatment, to try to get rid of what's causing your infections.
Staphylococcus aureus (commonly called Staph or Staph aureus) is a type of bacteria (germ). It's on the skin and in the noses of about a quarter of healthy people.
Staph is usually harmless, and you don't even notice it. But if your skin is damaged with a scratch or even a small cut or graze, it can cause skin infections such as boils and abscesses.
Children who have eczema are more likely to get skin infections because it's more likely that their skin will get dry and crack when they scratch it.
Decolonisation means trying to remove all the Staph from your body, so you don't get so many skin infections. You, and everyone living in your house, will need to follow this treatment for seven days.
Other people in the house need to do it because they may carry Staph in their nose or on their skin, even if it doesn't cause them any problems. If you're decolonised and they aren't, they'll transfer the bacteria back to you.
You can't do this treatment if you, or anyone else in the house, has an active infection, so you need to get make sure you're all fully healed. Also make sure you treat any other skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, or tinea (athlete's foot).
If you or anyone else in the house gets a new skin infection just before your planned decolonisation week, contact your general practice team, as you'll need to postpone the treatment.
Follow these steps where day one is the first day of the decolonisation treatment.
Step |
Action |
Done? |
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1. |
Getting readyMake sure everyone in the house understands good personal hygiene and what they need to do to achieve it.
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2. |
Day one – washing
To make sure your clothes, bedding, and towels are clean, wash them in hot water with your usual laundry detergent. Or if you wash them in cold water, either iron them with a steam iron, dry them in the sun, or put them somewhere dry and uncontaminated for 10 to 14 days. |
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3. |
Day one – house cleaning
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4. |
Skin decontaminationEither – use an antiseptic skin cleanser every day for seven daysEvery day for seven days everyone in the house needs to use antiseptic skin cleanser instead of soap. Follow these steps to make sure you wash properly.
Types of antiseptic cleanser are:
You can get chlorhexidine and octenidine at a pharmacy. Your GP will recommend which one to use depending on your family's ages and skin characteristics. Or – have a bleach bath twice a weekYou can also use a dilute bleach bath. Add ¼ cup (about 60 ml) of household bleach to a ¼ filled bath and stir well. Soak in the bath for about 10 minutes. Do this on the first day and on day three or four. If you don't have a bath, add 1 teaspoon of bleach to 4 litres of water in a bucket. Sponge it over yourself generously and leave it on for 10 minutes before showering it off. A bleach bath can be easier for children instead of using an antiseptic cleanser. |
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5. |
Nose decontamination – twice daily for seven daysApply mupirocin or povidone-iodine ointment to both your nostrils twice a day for seven days. Your GP will give you a prescription for this.
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6. |
Day seven – house cleaning
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7. |
Day seven – washing – the last day of decontamination
To make sure your clothes, bedding, and towels are clean, wash them in hot water with your usual laundry detergent. Or if you wash them in cold water, either iron them with a steam iron, dry them in the sun, or put them somewhere dry and uncontaminated for 10 to 14 days. |
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed August 2018.
Review key: HISTA-53807