Title

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

Files

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