Unit-Based Surveillance of Infections Better Than Hospital-Based Approach

Research published in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control suggests a unit-based, rather than a hospital-based, approach may be more effective in reducing nosocomial MRSA rates.

 

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For their study, researchers assessed surveillance methods and MRSA outcomes from 224 hospitals and 359 ICUs from 2004-2009. Their assessment showed 111 hospitals that continually participated in a hospital-based surveillance program saw no decrease in healthcare-acquired MRSA. However, 159 ICUs that continually participated in a unit-based surveillance program saw a 29 percent decrease in MRSA rates.

The researchers concluded a unit-level surveillance approach may better tackle the incidence of MRSA.

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