MRSA rates tied to hospital understaffing

Austrailian researchers have found overcrowding and understaffing can cause a breakdown in the control of MRSA in hospitals. "The drive toward greater efficiency by reducing the number of hospital beds and increasing patient throughput has led to highly stressed healthcare systems with unwelcome side effects," the researchers wrote. For example, overworked doctors, nurses and other hospital staff are less likely to wash their hands, researchers added.