Nursing staff workload as a determinant of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus spread in an adult intensive therapy unit.
Acquisition of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the intensive care unit of a tertiary referral centre was monitored over a 19-month period. The incidence of new cases of MRSA correlated with peaks of nursing staff workload and times of reduced nurse/patient ratios within the unit. This implies that nurse understaffing contributes significantly to the spread of MRSA in an ITU setting.
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Public Health Laboratory, Leicester Royal Infirmary.
D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016526:Workload