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Tackling MRSA — let's put more focus on spread

By Iolo Davies, PhD, MRPharmS

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Iolo Davies is a retired lecturer in pharmacy at The Queens University of Belfast

Targeting MRSA

Reducing MRSA infection rates by 50 per cent by 2008, from their 2003/04 baseline levels, is among the Healthcare Commissions’ targets for NHS trusts. See p350 for details about the latest progress.

Hospital Pharmacist conference

“Medicines management in the spotlight — learning from the health check” is the title of the next Hospital Pharmacist conference, to be held on 1 February 2007.

Further details

SUMMARY

Over the past decade or so, a marked increase in the number of deaths attributed to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection has been reported in hospitals in England and Wales, whereas deaths attributed to unspecified S aureus have remained relatively constant. A number of reasons have been offered to account for increased incidences of MRSA, including lack of attention to hygiene by staff, visitors bringing in infections, and poor cleanliness.

Many of the measures that have been put in place to reduce the incidences of MRSA infection focus on preventing its introduction into a hospital or ward. Examples include improving arrangements for cleaning hospitals and sterilising indwelling devices such as catheters, and providing hand rub for friends and relatives to use when visiting patients.