title: Reservoirs of MRSA in the acute hospital setting: a systematic review.
abstract: The aim of this systematic review was to critically analyse the literature and present the best available evidence relating to the significance of environmental factors, including equipment, in the transmission of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to hospitalised patients. Despite an extensive literature search only twenty studies that met the inclusion criteria were identified and analysed. There is evidence that the equipment and the inanimate environment are common reservoirs of MRSA, and that the rate of nosocommial transmission of the organism is influenced by occupancy rate and the design of clinical settings.
authors.affiliation: University of Western Sydney.
authors.forename: Rhonda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.forename: Ritin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Halcomb
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000635:transmission; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D004865:Equipment and Supplies, Hospital; D006272:Health Facility Environment; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000635:transmission; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus