title: The role of MRSA screening in joint-replacement surgery.
abstract: The aim of this prospective study was to determine the effect of screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), in patients undergoing total hip and knee replacements, on reducing hospital-acquired infections and the length of hospital stay. We included 395 patients admitted to the elective orthopaedic ward for hip and knee replacements (knee 210; hip 185) from 16 October 2000 to 15 October 2001. Group 1 included 164 admissions before 16 April 2001 when MRSA swabs were not compulsory. Group 2 included 231 admissions after 16 April 2001 when axillary, nasal and groin swabs had to be negative for MRSA. Four patients in group 1 had post-operative MRSA infection compared with none in group 2. The mean length of hospital stay decreased significantly from 10.43 days +/- SD 4.2 days in group 1 to 9.47 days +/- SD 2.6 days in group 2. There was a significant reduction in the incidence of hospital-acquired infections following the introduction of pre-admission screening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Alexandra Hospital, Redditch, Worcestershire, B98 7UB, UK. Drbijusankar@aol.com
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sankar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hopgood
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D010356:Patient Isolation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016896:Treatment Outcome