THE PREVENTION OF SPREAD OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS IN A SPINAL-INJURIES CENTER

The National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) is a tertiary referral cent re. It accepts most of its patients from other hospitals in the UK and overseas. The severity of injury, the presence of a tracheostomy, uri nary catheter and pressure sores predisposes this group of patients to coloisation or infection with Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus au reus (MRSA). The NSIC uses simple but strict protocols for hygiene, sc reening for MRSA, and source isolation of known or suspected MRSA carr iers in single room accommodation to control the spread of MRSA in the centre. A retrospective search of microbiology and patient records re vealed that in 4 years there had been 24 admissions with MRSA, with a total of 1421 isolation days. There was only one outbreak of MRSA. Thi s involved three patients. Hygiene, screening of potential MRSA carrie rs together with single room isolation can limit the spread of MRSA.