The Journal of hospital infection
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Preventing and controlling methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) includes early detection and isolation. In the emergency department (ED), such measures have to be balanced with the requirement to treat patients urgently and transfer quickly to an acute hospital bed. We assessed, in a busy and overcrowded ED, the contribution made to a patient's stay by previous MRSA risk group identification and by selective rescreening of those patients who were previously documented in the research hospital as being MRSA positive. ⋯ Female sex, age >65 years, and RG status all independently predicted a statistically significantly longer stay in the ED following a request for a hospital bed. We consider that national and local policies for MRSA need to balance the welfare of patients in the ED with the need to comply with best practice, when there are inadequate ED and inpatient isolation facilities. Patients with MRSA requiring emergency admission must have a bed available for them.
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Universal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening of adults admitted to hospital is being introduced in England. Routine obstetric patients are currently exempt from screening, but 'high risk' cases and women undergoing elective caesarean sections need to be included in the screening programme. ⋯ The epidemiology of MRSA in the USA, however, where community-associated MRSA strains are much more prevalent, is different from that in the UK. This article reviews current knowledge of MRSA screening in pregnancy and makes recommendations for current practice and future research.
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Letter Comparative Study
MRSA decolonization with Prontoderm compared with chlorhexidine and mupirocin.
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Comment Letter
Do patients understand the changes in the way doctors dress?