Decreasing Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Colonization in the Intensive Care Nursery

Abstract

Routine weekly screening for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was instituted in the Intensive Care Nursery (ICN) in December 2007 in response to MRSA infections and the subsequent identification of multiple colonized patients. Despite routine screening and contact isolation for patients infected or colonized with MRSA, an increase in hospital-associated (HA) MRSA infections was noted in 2011 as well as an increasing Number of patients with HA MRSA colonization from 2011 – 2012.