While requiring gowns or gloves has been known to prevent the spread of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) i certain settings, a new study evaluating 75,414 patient admissions from 74 Veterans Affairs (VA) longterm care facilities found that policies requiring active surveillance and contact precautions had no impact on MRSA rates, according to an article on the Contagion Live website.
The facilities were selected for the study in part because national VA policy required obtaining a MRSA surveillance test for all residents at admission and discharge.
This allowed an assessment of MRSA acquisition, which is typically only attainable through research studies.
While MRSA HAIs did decline during the study period by 30%, according to investigators, this was not related to the contact precautions policy.
On the Lookout: The Software Supply Chain as a Healthcare Cyberattack Vector
Hackensack Meridian Health & Wellness Center at Clifton Opens
Suffolk Breaks Ground on Expansion of White Plains Hospital
EVS Leadership Culture Critical in Preventing Hospital-Acquired Sepsis
Man Dies by Suicide in Emergency Department Waiting Room at Kansas Hospital