Admission to the intensive care unit is not a risk factor for acquiring methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, according to a meta-study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
The study analyzed 29 articles on MRSA colonization in ICU patients from 1966 to 2012.
While MRSA colonization was associated with healthcare contact and previous healthcare-associated pathogens, ICU admission was not a risk factor for MRSA colonization.
The authors suggest a reevaluation of MRSA screens for high-risk patients, focusing on patients who demonstrate specific risk-factors for MRSA colonization.
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