An MRSA outbreak in a urology ward and its association with Nd : YAG coagulation laser treatment of the prostate

Authors
Jones, JW Carter, A Ewings, P O'Boyle, PJ
Citation
Jw. Jones et al., An MRSA outbreak in a urology ward and its association with Nd : YAG coagulation laser treatment of the prostate, J HOSP INF, 41(1), 1999, pp. 39-44
Citations number
11
Categorie Soggetti
Clinical Immunolgy & Infectious Disease
Journal title
JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL INFECTION
ISSN journal
01956701 → ACNP
Volume
41
Issue
1
Year of publication
1999
Pages
39 - 44
Database
ISI
SICI code
0195-6701(199901)41:1<39:AMOIAU>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
An outbreak of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) involving 88 patients in a general urology ward is described. Symptomatic bacteraemi a and epididymo-orchitis occurred in 10 and 8% of patients respectively. Pa tients had a particularly high risk of acquiring serious MRSA infection aft er endoscopic neodymium yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) laser treatment o f the prostate. Appreciation of the mode of transmission of MRSA, a program me of continuing education for all medical and nursing staff, simple change s in ward protocol and advances in surgical laser technique contributed to the control of the outbreak.