Infection Control Experts Say Hospitals Not Doing Enough to Prevent MRSA
Posted on December 12, 2007
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Half of American health care facilities are not doing enough to stop the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to a poll of infection control professionals. The online survey conducted by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) revealed that while 59 percent of respondents work at facilities that are adopting or have already adopted measures to address MRSA, 50 percent think their institutions could be doing more.
The APIC survey served as an informal six-month follow-up to the organization’s MRSA Prevalence Study released in June. The MRSA Prevalence Study indicated that MRSA was “significantly more widespread” than previously thought, with rates measuring eight times higher than earlier estimates.
The follow-up poll sought to gauge the impact of the MRSA Prevalence Study results on infection control measures in hospital settings. 41 percent of respondents said that their facility had not implemented any new prevention measures since June. Explanations indicated that “many infection prevention programs are still inadequately funded and that facilities lack resources, staff, and buy-in from senior management to prevent the transmission of MRSA, ” according to Kathy L. Warye, Chief Executive Officer of APIC.
APIC provides their membership with guidelines for implementing a MRSA transmission prevention program. Recommended components include risk assessment, surveillance, hand hygiene, contact precautions, proper housekeeping, and testing of new admissions and high risk groups. Controlling MRSA also requires the explicit support of hospital administrators, and a transformation of the facility’s culture, APIC guidelines suggest.
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