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MRSA policies differ among hospitals, study shows

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Hospitals vary in how they detect and treat drug-resistant staph infections, but most follow national guideline recommendations, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Researchers sent a 61-item questionnaire to pharmacy directors at 263 acute-care hospitals in the United States to learn of their policies and practices regarding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

The study was published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacist.

Among the 102 hospitals that responded, 43% said they had a procedure to screen patients for MRSA, lead author Yoojung Yang, a fellow in the Center for Pharmacoeconomic Research, stated in a University of Illinois press release.

Prevention

Prevention is the best treatment for MRSA, Yang noted. Nearly all of the hospitals surveyed have adopted hand-hygiene practices. Other preventive practices include the use of gowns and gloves, and isolation of MRSA-positive patients, she said.

Nearly 75% of the responding hospitals review antimicrobial prescription orders and place restrictions on the use of select antimicrobials to ensure optimal use of the drugs and reduce the risk of bacterial resistance, Yang said.

“The results of our survey suggest that pharmacists play a key role in the treatment of MRSA infections, because they have the knowledge of how best antimicrobials can be used,” she stated.

Newer drugs

Vancomycin, the traditional drug of choice, was on the formulary in all of the hospitals, and only three hospitals had restrictions placed on its use, Yang said. Newer drugs such as linezolid, daptomycin and tigecycline were on the formulary in the vast majority of the respondent hospitals. Restrictions of their use were reported by more than half.

According to Glen Schumock, professor and director of the Center for Pharmacoeconomic Research who assisted Yang, this is the first survey of hospital pharmacy directors to address comprehensive MRSA treatment options. The results, he said, could identify areas for potential improvement in the prevention and management of the potentially deadly pathogen.

Reference:

• Yang Y. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2010;67:1017-1024.

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