Screening for the colonization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the noses of patients upon admission does not fuel prolonged use of the antibiotic vancomycin, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
As the overprescribing of vancomycin can be challenging for antimicrobial stewardship, the study's authors sought to determine whether screening patients for MRSA colonization prompted prolonged use of the antibiotic. The team assessed the duration of antibiotic use among 2,910 patients administered intravenous vancomycin at Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System from January 2013 through November 2015.
Researchers found testing positive for MRSA tripled the likelihood of vancomycin use for more than 72 hours. However, after controlling for positive clinical culture results, researchers found no relationship between MRSA screenings upon admission and extended antibiotic treatment.
"Admission surveillance for MRSA nasal colonization is not a major driver of prolonged vancomycin use," concluded the study's authors. "A negative admission MRSA nasal screen may be a useful tool for antimicrobial stewardship programs to limit vancomycin use, particularly in noncritically ill patients."
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