Study: MRSA Bundle Decreased Infections 62% in VA Hospitals

A combination of several infection prevention strategies called a “MRSA bundle” decreased healthcare-associated MRSA infections in ICUs by 62 percent in Veterans Affairs hospitals, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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The MRSA bundle included universal nasal surveillance for MRSA, contact precautions for patients colonized or infected with MRSA, hand hygiene and a change in institutional culture that promoted universal accountability for infection control.

VA hospitals implemented the bundle in Oct. 2007. From Oct. 2007-June 2010, the rate of healthcare-associated MRSA infections in ICUs fell 62 percent and in non-ICUs fell 45 percent.

In the same period the percentage of patients who were screened at admission increased from 82-96 percent. The percentage of patients screened at transfer or discharge rose from 72-93 percent.

Read the New England Journal of Medicine abstract on MRSA infection reductions in VA hospitals.

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