Here are 10 articles from Becker's Infection Control & Clinical Quality on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and staph infections that caught the attention of readers in 2015.
1. The most MRSA-contaminated surfaces in a hospital room: Infographic
Over-bed tables, bed rails, other flat surfaces, bed linens and patient gowns tend to be the surfaces in a hospital room that are most contaminated with MRSA, according to an EOS Surfaces infographic.
2. How the VA, HCA dramatically reduced MRSA infections
The CDC reports hospital-onset MRSA bacteremia decreased 8 percent between 2011 and 2013, which is a step in the right direction, but Veterans Affairs medical centers and Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America have made more than just steps, but leaps, in the right direction by tackling the infection problem with gusto.
3. Which 9 hospitals reported zero C. diff and MRSA infections?
Consumer Reports added Clostridium difficile infections and MRSA infection rates to its hospital ratings criteria this year, using data that hospitals report to the CDC. The magazine found that of the more than 3,000 hospitals examined, just nine reported zero of these infections between October 2013 and September 2014.
4. Patient bathing or contact precautions: Which reduces MRSA spread the most?
Bathing patients with chlorhexidine is slightly more effective than using contact precautions in preventing the spread of MRSA, according to a study presented at the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America meeting.
5. Khloé Kardashian contracts staph infection, possibly while visiting hospital
Television personality Khloé Kardashian was diagnosed with a staph infection, and a source told PEOPLE Magazine that she developed in the infection while visiting her husband, former professional basketball player Lamar Odom, in the hospital.
6. MRSA decontamination reduces risk for SSIs in orthopedic surgery
Using a preoperative MRSA decontamination protocol may help reduce surgical site infections, according to research published in JAMA Surgery.
7. Remedy from ancient textbook could cure MRSA, scientists find
A mixture of onion, garlic, wine and cow bile could prove to be the cure for MRSA, according to researchers from the University of Nottingham in the U.K. Researchers translated the remedy from Bald's Leechbook, which is widely acknowledged as one of the first medical textbooks.
8. 10 things for CFOs to know about MRSA
Healthcare workers and infection preventionists are not the only ones who should focus efforts on reducing MRSA infections; hospital CFOs should also be concerned with preventing this costly condition. This story highlights 10 things CFOs should know about MRSA.
9. Former NFL player sues team over MRSA infection
While MRSA is a problem for some hospital patients, a former NFL player blamed a MRSA infection — and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his former team — for ending his career.
10. Experimental bandage shown to effectively pull staph bacteria from wounds
The next big thing in infection prevention could be bandages that coax harmful bacteria from open wounds due to their nanofiber makeup, according to research from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.