A five-year bundle intervention at Veterans Affairs medical centers has significantly reduced rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, according to research published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
The MRSA Prevention Initiative was implemented in 2007. It included screening of each patient for MRSA, gown and glove use for MRSA patient care, a focus on hand hygiene, a cultural focus on infection control and a MRSA prevention coordinator position at each VA medical center.
During the time of the intervention, MRSA transmission decreased between 17 percent (intensive care units) and 21 percent (non-ICUs), and healthcare-associated MRSA infections decreased between 45 percent (ICUs) and 62 percent (non-ICUs).
In non-intensive care unit settings, MRSA transmission and acquisition decline continued beyond the first two years of the program, with rates for transmission decreasing another 13.7 percent and rates for acquisition decreasing another 44.8 percent.