MRSA Case Study

Over the last 50 years MRSA infection became a very serious threat to the lives of the patients in hospitals, particularly in critical care settings. MRSA, or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus is a type of “staphylococcus aureus bacteria that can be transferred from person to person via bedding, clothing, and other everyday objects that are touched by a patient. MRSA is a type of bacteria that can live in the environment for a long period of time unless removed by cleaning with specific substances” (Robinson, Edgley, Morrell, 2014). This infection is particularly dangerous to inpatients after they undergo invasive procedures because in general they have a higher risk of developing “severe illness if MRSA reaches the bloodstream” (bacteraemia)

Patients with known MRSA found on a clinical specimen in the six months prior to their ICU admission were excluded from this study (Marshall et al., 2013 p. 2). 868 female patients and 1315 male patients were included in the first (control) phase of this study. 841 female and 1355 male patients were involved in the 2nd phase. The average age of the patients in the first phase was 57.6 with a range of 15-98 years of age, and average age of 57.7 with a range of 15-101 years of age in the second phase. No specific tools were used in this study. “During both phases of the study, research nurses were employed to ensure compliance with swabbing, contact precautions and isolation/cohorting as well as data collection. During most of the study, this involved seven days per week of nursing time” (Marshall et al., 2013 p.2). The samples were collected by “completing nose, throat, axilla and groin swabs”(Marshall et al., 2013 p.2). These samples were collected on admission, on Mondays, Thursdays and at discharge. The collection was performed onsite in the ICU at the bedside. Cultures completed in both phases and infections were identified by the research nurse with review

This study was also quantitative, with MRSA screening as independent variable. Similar to the previous study methods were used in this research, including monitoring post-surgical ICU patients that received nasal swab prior to procedure. The population in this study included patients post-operatively treated in the ICU. Exclusion criteria was not stated. The study analyzed data collected from observation of 614 patients treated in ICU between April of 2006 and March of 2011. The patient population was divided into two groups: MRSA positive (31 patient with average age of 73.5 +/- 1.9 years) and MRSA negative (583 patients with an average age of 68.3 +/- 0.5 years). MRSA positive group included 23 male and 8 female patients, while there were 390 male and 193 female patients in MRSA negative group. The researchers then compared the incidence of postoperative MRSA infection in both groups. All postoperative subjects of the study received nasal swab consecutively processed using double nutrient agar with chemical sensitivity to identify MRSA. Patients identified to be MRSA positive were treated with appropriate antibiotics. Empiric antibiotic treatment was used in cases when MRSA was strongly suspected but culture results were not yet proven to be positive. Other than tools like nasal swabs, agar