Active surveillance for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus including polymerase chain reaction-based screening prevents transmission in a dermatology ward

摘要

Although the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection has decreased in recent years, it remains a worldwide challenge in hospitals and in the community.1 Screening for MRSA at hospital admission remains part of the infection control repertoire but, in most countries, is generally restricted to high-prevalence areas or only used during outbreaks. Individual screening is typically performed for patients with risk factors for MRSA,2 and wounds may be important sources of MRSA colonization and infection.3 However, wards that have a high proportion of patients with wounds, such as dermatology wards, are not generally considered to be associated with a high risk for MRSA. After an outbreak in our dermatology ward, in which the majority of patients have acute or chronic wounds, we implemented a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based screening protocol at admission to the ward.