Skip to main content

Table 2 Screening and control measures for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in 186 intensive care units

From: Screening and control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in 186 intensive care units: different situations and individual solutions

MRSA screening and control measures

Responding ICUs,

number (percentage)

ICUs with MRSA data and questionnaire results

186 (100.0)

Screening policy (n = 186)

 

   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)

 

   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)

 

   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)

 

   Computer-based MRSA alert system

134 (72.0)

   Paper-based MRSA alert system

19 (10.2)

Isolation of known MRSA carriers (n = 186)

 

   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)

 

   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)

 

   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)

  1. ICU, intensive care unit; MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; SR, single room.