title: Strategies for the management of healthcare staff colonized with epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: An outbreak of epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) caused by EMRSA-16 has affected hospitals in north east Northamptonshire since April 1991. Between the start of the outbreak and December 1995, 74 healthcare staff (0.9% of the staff screened) were colonized by the outbreak strain. Thirty-two percent of colonized staff were excluded from work, and six were excluded for periods of longer than three weeks. Twenty-four percent of staff had more than one course of treatment to eradicate carriage. The contribution of staff carriage in hospitals where EMRSA-16 is endemic and strategies for the management of colonized staff are discussed. We conclude that screening of staff has a limited role in the control of outbreaks caused by EMRSA-16 and that when resources for screening are scarce priority should be given to patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust, Northants, UK.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Conquest
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002353:Carrier State / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents