title: [Hospital hygiene--prevention of MRSA: what hygienic measures are meaningful?].
abstract: MRSA has become a major challenge for the health system. The proportion of MRSA in the total collective of Staphylococcus aureus cases in Germany amounts to about 35 %. The further spread of MRSA must be prevented or at least slowed down. There is controversial discussion about which hygienic measures are meaningful. In Germany most people and institutions attempt to follow the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute. These recommendations include, among others, the isolation of MRSA patients. However, this measure can only be achieved with difficulty and has limited efficacy. It may even happen that MRSA patients are treated less effectively just on account of the isolation and the other extensive measures and may more frequently experience complications. Thus it must be considered whether or not better results would be obtained without isolation when the standard hygienic protocols are strictly observed.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anästhesie und Intensivtherapie/Universitätsklinikum Giessen und Marburg.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kerwat
authors.forename: Hinnerk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wulf
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005858:Germany; D006920:Hygiene; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D010356:Patient Isolation; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*