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HCWs overestimate rate of MRSA colonization
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Survey results revealed that many health care workers overestimate the risk for MRSA colonization; however, the workers did not practice additional safety precautions to prevent infection, according to recent findings.
“Knowledge deficits among [health care workers (HCW)] regarding the epidemiology of MRSA colonization appear to be common,” researchers wrote. “If it is possible that a widespread perception that ‘everybody is colonized’ leads to a feeling of futility and disregard for best infection control practices among HCW, there is also the potential that by educating HCW about the actual epidemiology of health care-associated pathogens, harmful behaviors could be corrected and the transmission cycle broken.”
Researchers collected nasal and handprint samples from 209 HCW employed at medical, surgical and spinal cord card units in an inpatient, tertiary care Veterans Affairs hospital to assess the prevalence of MRSA colonization. In addition, 162 HCW completed an anonymous survey addressing occupation, work location, MRSA risk factors and perceptions about the prevalence of MRSA carriage. The researchers used Pearson chi-square and Fisher exact tests to compare frequencies of MRSA colonization and beliefs among HCW.
According to the data, 8.6% participants had detectable MRSA colonization in their nasal samples, 6.2% had detectable colonization in handprint samples, and 12% had detectable colonization in either sample. The prevalence of colonization did not significantly differ across occupation, ward location and self-reported MRSA risk.
Although only a few participants were positive for MRSA colonization, 62% of the surveyed participants believed they were colonized with MRSA. This belief was mostly reported among physicians (74%) and was least likely reported by other ward staff (21.4%). Physicians and nursing staff were more likely to report that MRSA colonization occurs in HCW employed at hospitals vs. nonphysicians and non-nurse personnel (P = .02), although the latter estimates were much closer to being accurate, the researchers wrote.
“These data are particularly discouraging in light of the fact that appropriate hand hygiene rates at the time of the study ranged between 50% and 60%, suggesting that the belief that being colonized and a potential vector for transmission of pathogens may not necessarily lead to scrupulous observance of best hand disinfection practices,” the investigators concluded. “Future qualitative studies designed to explore reasons for nonadherence could shed light onto this paradoxical behavior.” – by Jen Byrne
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant disclosures.
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