Research suggests aggressive screening of healthcare workers for MRSA
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
April 23, 2008
New research recommends that healthcare workers be screened aggressively and other measures should be taken to prevent the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in facilities in which the infection is endemic, reports The Washington Post. A review of more than 30,000 healthcare workers in countries around the world showed that 4.6% of healthcare staff members carried MRSA, and 5.1% had clinical MRSA infections.
The research suggests that MRSA screening should be performed on all healthcare workers, regardless of if they exhibit signs of the infection. Also, nose and throat samples should be done with different swabs, as treatment for the location of MRSA differs.
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