MRSA screening and control measures | Responding ICUs, number (percentage) |
---|---|
ICUs with MRSA data and questionnaire results | 186 (100.0) |
Screening policy (n = 186) | Â |
   No MRSA screening | 44 (23.7) |
   Any type of MRSA screening | 142 (76.3) |
Universal admission screening of all patients | 51 (27.4) |
Targeted screening of risk populations | 91 (48.9) |
   Screening of known carriers on readmission | 67 (36.0) |
   Screening of contact patients | 62 (33.3) |
   Screening of defined high-risk patients | 53 (28.5) |
Screening method (n = 142) | Â |
   Culture-based MRSA screening | 74 (52.1) |
   PCR-based screening | 11 (7.8) |
   Culture- and PCR-based screening | 57 (40.1) |
Microbiologic diagnostics (n = 186) | Â |
   External microbiology laboratory | 99 (53.2) |
   In-house microbiology laboratory | 77 (41.4) |
   Performance of respiratory surveillance cultures | 68 (36.6) |
   Performance of urine surveillance cultures | 49 (26.3) |
MRSA alert system (n = 186) | Â |
   Computer-based MRSA alert system | 134 (72.0) |
   Paper-based MRSA alert system | 19 (10.2) |
Isolation of known MRSA carriers (n = 186) | Â |
   Isolation of MRSA carriers in SRs | 174 (93.5) |
Strict SR isolation | 102 (54.8) |
SR isolation if available or contact precautions in larger rooms | 72 (38.7) |
   Contact precautions (and no SR isolation) | 12 (6.5) |
Pre-emptive isolation (n = 186) | Â |
   Carriers on readmission | 111 (59.7) |
   Contact patients | 76 (40.9) |
   Defined high-risk patients | 67 (36.0) |
   All admissions | 13 (7.0) |
Topical decolonization (n = 186) | Â |
   Decolonization of all MRSA carriers with mupirocin | 113 (60.8) |
   Decolonization of selected MRSA carriers with mupirocin | 60 (32.3) |
   Mupirocin in combination with antiseptic washing | 165 (88.7) |