Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus prevention practices in hospitals throughout a rural state.

McDanel JS, Ward MA, Leder L, Schweizer ML, Dawson JD, Diekema DJ, Smith TC, Chrischilles EA, Perencevich EN, Herwaldt LA. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus prevention practices in hospitals throughout a rural state. American journal of infection control. 2014 Aug 1; 42(8):868-73.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• CDA 11-215 – Comparative Effectiveness of Strategies to Control S. aureus Infections

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.    Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions

Search for Abstract from PubMed

---

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) created an evidence-based bundle to help reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) health care-associated infections. The study aim was to identify which components of the IHI's MRSA bundle that rural hospitals have implemented and to identify barriers that hindered implementation of bundle components. METHODS: Four surveys about the IHI's MRSA bundle were administered at the Iowa Statewide Infection Prevention Seminar between 2007 and 2011. Surveys were mailed to infection preventionists (IPs) who did not attend the meetings. RESULTS: The percentage of IPs reporting that their hospital implemented a hand hygiene program (range by year, 87%-94%) and used contact precautions for patients infected (range by year, 97%-100%) or colonized (range by year, 77%-92%) with MRSA did not change significantly. The number of hospitals that monitored the effectiveness of environmental cleaning significantly increased from 23%-71% (P < .01). Few hospitals assessed daily if central lines were necessary (range by year, 22%-26%). IPs perceived lack of support to be a major barrier to implementing bundle components. CONCLUSION: Most IPs reported that their hospitals had implemented most components of the MRSA bundle. Support within the health care system is essential for implementing each component of an evidence-based bundle.