The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Health Administration’s campaign to limit healthcare facility-associated infections (HAIs) of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to make significant progress, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
Researchers from the Veterans Health Administration, found that between October 2007 and September 2015 monthly HAI rates dropped 87 percent in intensive care units (ICUs), 80.1 percent in non-ICUs, and 80.9 percent in spinal cord injury units (SCIUs). In long-term care facilities (LTCFs), rates fell 49.4 percent during the period of July 2009 to September 2015. During September 2015, only two MRSA HAIs were reported in ICUs, 20 in non-ICUs (with three in SCIUs), and 31 in LTCFs nationwide.
“Understanding how and why rates of MRSA have diminished in recent years is essential for the continued progress of effective prevention programs,” said lead study author Martin E. Evans, MD. “As we seek to protect patients from MRSA and other resistant organisms, our study supports the need for strong infection prevention programs at every healthcare facility.”
