A recent finding that universal decolonization is superior to other strategies in reducing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and bloodstream infection rates has three important implications for healthcare quality improvement, study authors wrote in New England Journal of Medicine.
Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America implemented one of three MRSA prevention strategies in intensive care units in 43 of its hospitals. Universal decolonization — giving all patients twice-daily intranasal mupirocin for five days and bathing all patients with chlorhexidine-impregnated cloths daily for the entire ICU stay — reduced the amount of MRSA-positive clinical cultures 37 percent and the amount of bloodstream infections from any pathogen 44 percent.
This method's effect is important for three reasons, according to the authors:
1. The reductions in infections occurred beyond the existing reductions achieved at HCA hospitals and other hospitals in the past 10 years. Therefore, most hospitals have the opportunity to make continued improvements.
2. Universal decolonization was incorporated into routine practice using existing hospital infrastructure. "These results are thus likely to be generally achievable as part of regular practice," the authors wrote.
3. The intervention was effective in community hospitals. Since most U.S. hospitals are community hospitals, there is the potential for widespread improvement.
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Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America implemented one of three MRSA prevention strategies in intensive care units in 43 of its hospitals. Universal decolonization — giving all patients twice-daily intranasal mupirocin for five days and bathing all patients with chlorhexidine-impregnated cloths daily for the entire ICU stay — reduced the amount of MRSA-positive clinical cultures 37 percent and the amount of bloodstream infections from any pathogen 44 percent.
This method's effect is important for three reasons, according to the authors:
1. The reductions in infections occurred beyond the existing reductions achieved at HCA hospitals and other hospitals in the past 10 years. Therefore, most hospitals have the opportunity to make continued improvements.
2. Universal decolonization was incorporated into routine practice using existing hospital infrastructure. "These results are thus likely to be generally achievable as part of regular practice," the authors wrote.
3. The intervention was effective in community hospitals. Since most U.S. hospitals are community hospitals, there is the potential for widespread improvement.
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