MRSA Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about MRSA, including details on methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

The Use of Active Surveillance Cultures in Adult Intensive Care Units to Reduce Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus-Related Morbidity, Mortality, and Costs: A Systematic Review.

L McGinigle K, L Gourlay M, B Buchanan I

1School of Medicine, 2Public Health Leadership Program, School of Public Health, and 3Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, and 4Department of Performance Improvement, UNC Health Care, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Active surveillance cultures (ASCs) are universal or targeted microbiological screening cultures for patients admitted to a hospital. ASCs have been proposed to control the increasing numbers of infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms, but their efficacy and cost-effectiveness are unproven. We conducted a systematic review of the literature pertaining to the use of ASCs and control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We searched revelant journals and the PubMed Medline, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases. No randomized, controlled trials were identified. Sixteen observational studies and 4 economic analyses were reviewed. Only 2 of the observational studies had a control group. None of the studies were of good quality. Thus, we identified important gaps in the literature, including a need for a clear definition of ASCs, a clear implementation protocol, and rigorous economic evaluations. Existing evidence may favor the use of ASCs, but the evidence is of poor quality, and definitive recommendations cannot be made.

Published 18 April 2008 in Clin Infect Dis.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 MRSA Research Today. All Rights Reserved.