Effective control of mrsa epidemic at the intensive care unit

Authors

  • Vesna Miklavčič
  • Janja Slemenjak
  • Igor Muzlovič
  • Matjaž Jereb
  • Andrej Trampuž

Keywords:

intenzivno zdravljenje enote, infekcija navzkrižna-zdravljenje z zdravili, meticilinska rezistenca, staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

We evaluated the efficacy of hygienic measures a tour intensive care unit (ICU) with 10 medical beds and a high prevalence of MRSA. Preventive strategies of western European countries with low MRSA prevalence or eradicated MRSA were used. We compared the number of transmitted MRSA casesin our ICU between a 10-month period before and after implementation of intensified hygienic measures against MRSA. Thesemeasures included strict hand disifection (handwashing wasallowed only when hands were visible soiled), use of liquid alcohol(not in gel form), use of powderless examination gloves, strict contact isolation and decolonisation of patients with MRSA. In the first 10-month period 250 patients were admitted to the ICU. MRSA was found in 37 patients, of which 21 patients (56.8%) were transmitted at the ICU. In the second 10-month period 243 patients were admitted to the ICU. MRSA was found in 39 patients, of which 4 patients (10.2 %) were transmitted at the ICU. This was a statistically significant reduction in transmitted MRSA cases (p < 0.001). Decolonisation of patients did not additionally reduce the MRSA transmission when hand

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Published

2002-03-01

How to Cite

Miklavčič, V., Slemenjak, J., Muzlovič, I., Jereb, M., & Trampuž, A. (2002). Effective control of mrsa epidemic at the intensive care unit. Slovenian Nursing Review, 36(1), 7–13. Retrieved from https://obzornik.zbornica-zveza.si:8443/index.php/ObzorZdravNeg/article/view/2379

Issue

Vol. 36 No. 1 (2002)

Section

Retrospective (archive)

License

As the author undersigned hereby, I transfer, assign, or otherwise convey the following authorship rights as comprised in the Copyright and Related Rights Act (CRRA) to the Slovenian Nursing Review, Ob železnici 30A, 1000 Ljubljana: the right of reproduction - the exclusive right to fix the work in a material medium or in another copy directly or indirectly, temporarily or permanently, by any means and in any digital form, in whole or in part (CRRA, Article 23); the right of distribution (CRRA, Article 24); the right of making a work available and accessible through the internet (CRRA, Article 32a); the right of transformation, especially the exclusive right to translate a pre-existing work (CRRA, Article 33). The transfer of author rights applies to the article in its entirety, including pictorial and/or graphic works and possible supplements. The transfer of rights is exclusive and unlimited in duration or territory.