Screening success in cutting MRSA

Tuesday 3 July 2012

A SCOTTISH health board has more than halved the number of new cases of a superbug after a screening project was introduced to assess the risk of people being admitted into hospital with the infection.

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NHS Western Isles said yesterday there had been 24 new cases of MRSA so far in 2012, down from 64 in the first half of 2010, before the screening pilot was brought into force.

Now patients undergo a clinical risk assessment by being asked questions that help determine the chance of them having MRSA. If they are deemed to be high risk, they are tested for the bug. NHS Western Isles said as well as the risk assessments, hand hygiene had been improved in its hospitals. The health board said this had led to a fall in new cases of MRSA – from 122 in 2010, to 66 in 2011.

In the first half of this year, only 24 have been reported. Gordon Jamieson, chief executive of NHS Western Isles, said: "The prevention and control of infection is, and remains, one of our top priorities. Our attention is constantly focused on this important issue. Staff should take credit for their teamwork in reaching this very good position."

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Screening success in cutting MRSA

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