MRSA decontamination using octenidine-based products.
BACKGROUND
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are an increasing problem worldwide with a high risk of severe illness and mortality in hospitalised patients. Patients with chronic wounds are at particular risk of developing MRSA infections. As octenidine-based products have shown promising success in decontamination in the past, the aim of the present study was to determine its efficacy, safety, and tolerability in decontaminating hospitalised MRSA-positive patients.


METHODS
From 1 April 2011 until 9 November 2012, 36 patients were screened MRSA-positive at the Republican Vilnius University Hospital, Vilnius, Lithuania. At least three swab tests were performed for each patient to screen for MRSA, one from each nostril and one from the perineum. In patients with wounds, an additional swab was taken from the wound surface. In the affected patients octenidine-based products were used in one or two cycles of 7 days each. In addition, adverse events were recorded and the tolerability was assessed using a 4-point scale ranging from 'very good' to 'poor'.


RESULTS
Complete decontamination was achieved in 24 patients (67%) following treatment with the octenidine-based products. None of the patients experienced side-effects or secondary symptoms such as skin irritation or allergic reactions during the course of the study. In addition, octenidine was very well tolerated in the majority of patients (n=31; 86%).


CONCLUSIONS
The results demonstrate that octenidine-based products are highly efficient in the multifaceted decontamination of hospitalised MRSA-positive patients. Having a range of products that can be used for full body decontamination (including the scalp and nasal passages) is of particular significance when developing an MRSA decontamination protocol, as multiple parts of the body can be affected. Combined with a favourable safety and tolerability profile, octenidine-based products thus represent a good choice in multifaceted MRSA decontamination regimes, which are necessary to curb the increasing problem of severe infections.
2UAB 'Apiterapija', Vilnius, Lithuania.
Mindaugas
M
Danilevicius
Republican Vilnius University Hospital, Department of Infection Control, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Audra
A
Juzéniené
Republican Vilnius University Hospital, Department of Infection Control, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Indré
I
Juzénaité-Karneckiené
Anželika
A
Veršinina
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007097:Imines; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D008875:Middle Aged; D011725:Pyridines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D007097:Imines; D011725:Pyridines; C034213:octenidine
Decontamination; Hospitalised patients; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Octenidine