Quality e-Newsletter
Intelligence Unit Special Reports Special Events Subscribe Sponsored Departments Follow Us

Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS

MRSA Infects 5% of ED Patients

Cheryl Clark, for HealthLeaders Media, January 18, 2011

Patients who complained of skin or soft tissue infection "were almost five times more likely to be colonized with MRSA in one or more sites" than those who had other complaints.

The authors advise that emergency departments pay closer attention to prevention measures in the ED, especially in regions of the country with higher rates of USA 300 MRSA, a particularly troublesome type found in community settings, are found.

"Further study of the prevalence and patterns of silent MRSA carriage in ED patients and the dynamics of transmission between patients and healthcare workers in this unique clinical environment may be helpful for devising optimal infection control policies specific to ED settings," they wrote.

See Also:
Hospital MRSA Prevention Policies Widespread, Varied
MRSA-Resistant 'Paint' Kills Bacteria
Hospital MRSA Infection Rates Plunge 28%
MRSA Survey Seeks Trends, Tactics in Infection Control

Cheryl Clark is senior quality editor and California correspondent for HealthLeaders Media. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists.
Twitter
1 | 2 | 3

Comments are moderated. Please be patient.

1 comments on "MRSA Infects 5% of ED Patients"


tom engle (1/19/2011 at 10:44 AM)
Haven't you misrepresented the MRSA study? It is not 1 in 20 patients, rather 1 in 20 patients who present with skin infections?