Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Control in the 21st Century: Laboratory Involvement Affecting Disease Impact and Economic Benefit from Large Population Studies.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is a global health care problem. Large studies (e.g., >25,000 patients) show that active surveillance testing (AST) followed by contact precautions for positive patients is an effective approach for MRSA disease control. With this approach, the clinical laboratory will be asked to select what AST method(s) to use and to provide data monitoring outcomes of the infection prevention interventions. This minireview summarizes evidence for MRSA disease control, reviews the involvement of the laboratory, and provides examples of how to undertake a program cost analysis. Health care organizations with total MRSA clinical infections of >0.3/1,000 patient days or bloodstream infections of >0.03/1,000 patient days should implement a MRSA control plan.
Departments of Medicine and Pathology, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA lance1@uchicago.edu.|Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, USA.|Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Division of Microbiology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, USA.|Department of Infection Control, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, USA.
Lance R
LR
Peterson
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Division of Microbiology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, USA.
Donna M
DM
Schora
D002353:Carrier State / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology