Reduction of the Duration of Contact Precautions in Patients with a Positive MRSA Swab

Authors

Fadi al-Saiegh, MD, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Phyllis Flomenberg, MD, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Giuliana Labella, RN, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Kelli McRory, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
James Harrop, MD, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

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Description

Background

Contact precautions (CP) in hospitals are a method of infection control in the transmission of multi-drug resistant organisms. Unfortunately, even though colonization with nasal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is common in asymptomatic patients (3.8-4.5%) (6,7), patients are screened for nasal MRSA since it associated with higher morbidity and mortality. However, those who test positive for nasal MRSA are kept on CP even with a cleared MRSA infection(1). At TJUH, patients were kept on CP for 24 months after a positive swab regardless of location. This, unfortunately, led to unintended negative consequences: delay in patient transfer to other facilities (e. g. rehabilitation) (3), lower patient satisfaction (4), decreased health care provider time with patients (5), and increased health care expenditures.

Publication Date

6-6-2019

City

Philadelphia

Keywords

quality improvement, MRSA, infection rates

Disciplines

Infectious Disease | Medicine and Health Sciences

Comments

Presented at the 2019 House Staff Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Conference

Recommended Citation

al-Saiegh, MD, Fadi; Flomenberg, MD, Phyllis; Labella, RN, Giuliana; McRory, Kelli; and Harrop, MD, James, "Reduction of the Duration of Contact Precautions in Patients with a Positive MRSA Swab" (2019). House Staff Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Conference (2016-2019). Poster 123.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/patientsafetyposters/123